Page 86 of A Shore Fling
“I promise I won’t ever let that happen again. I didn’t mean to. I didn’t realize until it was too late how much I’d hurt you. I’m so sorry, Travis.”
He cups my face in his hands, thumbs brushing gently under my cheekbones. “You’re here now. That’s what matters.” His lips find mine in a kiss that’s soft at first, like he’s still trying to convince himself I’m real, that this moment is real. But then the kiss deepens, becoming slow and yearning.
When we finally pull apart, I breathe him in, my hands resting over his heart. “I’m not going anywhere,” I tell him.
“Good. I don’t think I can lose you again.”
I slide my hands up his chest, curling my fingers lightly into his shirt. “Also… just so you know, I risked my life getting here.”
He pulls back slightly, confused. “What are you talking about?”
“I rode the bike.”
His eyes narrow. “The bike?”
I nod solemnly. “The green death trap that came with the house.”
Travis lets out a short laugh. “No way.”
“Oh, it wasn’t pretty, and there was a lot of praying and swearing, but I made it in one piece.”
His grin grows. “I can’t believe you used it. After the day I taught you to ride, you never wanted to try again.”
“Desperate times. It was either that or walk. And honestly? If I hadn’t promised myself I’d get to you, I’d probably still be huffing and puffing, pushing the bike here.”
He laughs, the sound rumbling through his chest, and damn, I missed it. I missedhim. The way his smile softly spreads across his face until the corners of his eyes crinkle. The way he looks at me like I’m the most fascinating person he knows.
“You’re kind of amazing,” he says, still smiling.
“I’m kind of out of breath,” I say, feigning exhaustion. “Also, your road is not as flat as it looks. You should do something about that.”
He chuckles, pressing his lips to mine for a tender kiss.
I brush my thumb lightly over his stubbly jaw. “So, later will you give me a ride home in your truck? There’s no way I’m riding a bike in the dark.”
He laughs. “Hell no. I just got you back. You’re stuck here now.”
“Good,” I whisper, brushing another kiss over his lips. “I was hoping you'd say that.”
CHAPTER 24
TRAVIS
ONE MONTH LATER
Ihop onto the deck of the Sea Ray and glance back as Nina steps in behind me. With her glamorous sunglasses perched on her nose, red lipstick painting her lips, and her hair twisted into a knot on top of her head, she looks like she owns the damn world—or at least my heart.
She briefly lowers her sunglasses, flashing me a look. “Let’s just agree up front if I crash this thing, it’s not entirely my fault.”
I raise a brow. “You already beached her once. That was your one freebie.”
“That was a navigational hiccup,” she says, brushing past me. “It’s very common among new boat captains with limited experience.”
“Uh-huh. You left her stranded like a shipwreck. I had to pick you up off the coast of an uninhabited island.”
She pouts her red lips. “You said you were going to stop bringing that up.”
I flash her a grin. “No, I said I’d stop bringing it up in public. This doesn’t count.”
