Page 88 of Second Chance Savior

We made out for a while like teenagers, but without any serious intention of turning this into round two. We were both worn out after a long day. And I was thirty-five. My recovery time wasn’t that short anymore.

Our kisses slowed down, and we snuggled up in comfortable silence. Then she said, “If your brother found out what we’re doing, do you think he’d be able to forgive us?”

My heart jolted in my chest.

“Could go either way.” Charlie wasn’t doing anything wrong. But Ross wouldn’t welcome the news that I was sleeping with his former fiancée. No greeting card for that situation. “It’s not enough to stop me,” I added.

Her brow wrinkled. “Ross looked up to you. But he used to get envious of you sometimes.”

“Me?” That was laughable, considering he’d had what I wanted.

“I just don’t want to come between you. And what about the rest of our families?” She rested her head on my chest. “I’m worried what they’d say. My parents are open-minded. But this would be a lot, right?”

“What are we discussing, exactly? Do you want to tell them?”

“No.No. I…I don’t know. It sounds crazy. We live in the same state now, but your life and mine are so different.”

“That’s true. It does sound crazy. But you make me crazy in the best way.”

“So do you.”

I pushed back her hair, wishing I could see her better in the dark. “Tell me what you want,” I murmured.

“You,” she said automatically. “I think I’ve wanted you for a long time. Even when I couldn’t admit it to myself. But it’s impossible.”

“I know. Becausereasons.”

“I hate reasons.”

“So do I.”

Fuck, I hated the truth sometimes. Yet we owed that to each other.

So I closed my eyes and held her in my arms, trying to memorize the exact shape of her there in the dark. And trying not to miss her already.

At dawn, we dressed and packed up in silence. But it was a good silence. Content. No matter what other shit was going down in the world, things were okay between Charlie and me. It was the first time in eighteen years that I could say that.

I’d already checked the encrypted Protectors server using my satphone. No new messages. Nothing from Cerberus either. Like any phone, a satphone could theoretically betraced, but I’d made every effort to be sure mine was as anonymous as possible.

Charlie pulled down the bag of food from the tree we’d tied it in. “Do you want oatmeal?” she asked. “Or a savory breakfast skillet, whatever that is?”

We’d had MREs for dinner last night, and it was MREs for breakfast. “Whichever. I don’t care. It’s fuel.”

“Right, I forgot all you eat is takeout. Someday I need to cook a decent meal for you.”

“Just tell me when and where.”

“How about Hartley? Whenever things have settled down to normal again, and I get time away from the office.” Her eyes lifted, meeting mine. “It would be nice to meet Trace in person, plus everyone else you told me about.”

“I’d love for you to visit Hartley. Anytime.”

“Yeah?” Her shoulders relaxed, and I realized she’d been unsure of my reply. “Even if it’s just as friends?”

“That’s what I assumed,” I said softly. Then added, “I know it’ll be hard to resist seducing me, but soon you’ll have to learn to live without.”

“Such a deprivation.”

“It will be. But not yet.” I slid my arm around her waist, pulling her against me. Dropped a slow, sensual kiss to her mouth.

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