Page 42 of The Two Last Moments

“You’re here.” The look on Lark’s face just about tears my heart out.

I close the distance between us and wrap her in my arms. Her arms cinch around me, her face at my chest.

“You came back. I can’t believe you’rehere. But Kathy’s looking for me. We have to go.”

“Why?”

“I’ll explain later. Comeon.”

People are starting to gather, drawn by the shouts. “I’m parked this way.” I dropped the pay-as-you-go phone somewhere, but it doesn’t matter. I take her hand and we dash across the parking lot.

“Hey!” a woman yells. “Stop!”

I glance back. It’s Kathy. She’s running after us. I sprint faster, pulling Lark along with me.

We reach my car, and I take the keys out of my pocket. “Let’s go.” We jump in. I stomp on the brake and work the clutch, throwing the car in gear.

“Seatbelt,” I command.

Lark puts hers on. “What about yours?”

“Later,” I mutter.

We tear out of the parking lot, swerving to miss a dark SUV that’s just pulling in.

I glance into the rearview mirror. Kathy is slowing at the edge of the parking lot, giving up on chasing us. It doesn’t look like anyone else is following either. But that dark SUV I passed has stopped, one door thrown wide open. The driver gets out, his silhouette blurred by waves of heat.

He’s staring after us. Staring like I just took something he thinks is his.

The Charger’s V-8 engine roars as we eat up the asphalt, heading back south toward West Oaks. Lark has her hands against the dashboard. She’s breathing hard. Shaking. Her hair hangs into her face.

“You came back for me.” There’s awe in her tone and expression.

“I never should’ve left.”

16

Iput about thirty miles between us and the travel stop. Then I exit and double back a bit, just to make sure that nobody’s following. It looks like we’re clear.

The tires roll over gravel as I pull us onto a quiet road and park beneath a shady tree. Lark has barely spoken, and I need to make sure she’s all right before we keep going.

I need to know what the hell just happened.

A twist of my key shuts off the engine. I unbuckle my seatbelt, which I managed to fasten as I was driving. Lark doesn’t make a move to unbuckle hers.

“Hey. Talk to me.” My hand cradles the back of her neck, the other brushing the hair from her face. She startles, and her eyes meet mine. The green is even richer, brought out by the tree we’re parked beneath. “What happened back there?”

Suddenly, she’s moving. Unbuckling her seatbelt. Leaning across the center console into my space.

I’m leaning in, too, pulled by the invisible yet undeniable gravity between us.

Andoh fuck, her lips are on mine. Mine part over hers.

Unlike our kiss at the travel stop earlier, it’s impossible to say who started this one first. But it’s not chaste. Not even close.

Lark fists my shirt over my chest, and I hold her head, angling her so I can deepen our kiss. My tongue slides into her soft, yielding mouth. The scent of her is fresh and flowery. Her long hair flows through my fingers.

I’m here. I feel like I’m saying it with every move of my mouth over hers.I’m not letting you go.

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