Page 75 of Hearts Adrift
“Or a few months,” he says.
“And where will that leave me? … Or us?” I definitely sound like a frantic lover now, clinging to the scraps of whatever I can salvage of this fleeting connection. This is me at my least attractive. Max-level desperation. “I swore I could be okay with anything. I told myself to be happy for you. But the truth is, I’d lose my mind wondering what wecould’vebeen if we’d just had more time together. What if I’m what your life’s been missing? What if you’re the real deal and I just … just let you go back to your life in LA?”
“Finn …”
“I can’t do that, River. I can’t let you go.”
“Finn!”
“I’ve already let go of so much in my life. I have to fight for you. I have to fight for you tostay. I have to—”
He shuts me the hell up with a kiss.
The gentlest kiss that has ever shut me up at full rage.
It’s unsettling, actually, how fast River is able to take control of my rollercoaster and steer it right back onto the tracks with just the softest touch of his lips to mine. In our ears, theshattering of our breaths compete with the sea. All I know anymore is the feeling of his mouth as his firm lips entwine with mine, breaking apart my anxieties, replacing them with the insatiable yearning for more of what he’s so generously giving me.
I fucking love the way he kisses. It’s so sensual, yet so commanding. I’m completely at his whim. He tilts his face one way, and I oblige him. He tilts his face the other, and my lips are caught by surprise again and again.
Our hips have found each other under the water. His cock grinding against mine. Hands settling at the small of our backs, as if to encourage the less-than-gentle reunion of our bodies. Insurmountable pressure is building up so fast beneath our waists, it’s a wonder we can pay attention to anything else at all, let alone the soft touch of his lips.
Maybe that’s just a testament to how damned effective of a kisser he is.
And how much of a sucker I am for those kisses.
“Guess I forgot to mention,” he says between breaths we take as our lips refuse to stop kissing, “a little idea I had,” and kissing, and kissing, and kissing, “that I need to talk to your dad about …”
“What …” I breathe between kisses. I swear I’m trying to pull away enough to have an actual conversation, but I’m addicted to the way his lips feel on mine. “… idea?”
“I plan … on ending … my rental agreement.”
He’s gotta drop this on me right now in the middle of our kissing and make me cry? “What the … fuck?” I moan against his lips. “Already …? I thought—”
“… because I plan to make your dad … areallygreat offer … tobuyit,” he finishes.
That ends the kissing at once.
I stare at him, blinking. “You’re … what?”
His lips spread into a dashing, proud-of-himself smile. “Whenever I’m not off somewhere filming, I’ll need some nice place to stay, won’t I? LA was never my vibe. I think I’ve grown attached to the bungalow. Someone convinced me once it’s a special place I should learn to respect more.”
I can’t believe what I’m hearing. “Isn’t this a bit fast?”
“RiverFast-And-RecklessWolfe, that’s what they call me. Actually, no one calls me that. I made it up.”
“You’re moving here?”
“Did you know I’m originally from Texas?”
“What? No.”
“You didn’t read my bio? Seriously, this information is out there, free for anyone. It’s why my bestie Anya lives in Austin. Put the puzzle pieces together, Finn!”
“But people know you’re here. Aren’t you a bit afraid the location of the bungalow is … tainted …?”
“Some know, some don’t. Something I learned real fast in this business: people bore fast. Bet you I’ll be old news by the morning, if not already.”
“River …”
