Page 85 of Never Quiet

It wasn’t right to tell him and Amanda had no intentions of doing so. He needed to believe it was a combination of helping her lower the risk to her safety, mutual attraction, and maybe the fulfillment of their fevered fantasies.

She planned to leave him with that impression. In return, she’d take something with her into her future that would always mean more than it could with anyone else.

“Amanda…”

She turned her body, stretching her legs around either side of him. His palm rested on her shin. Reaching out, she let herself stroke her fingers through his hair. He closed his eyes and tilted his head back at the contact.

“It will be nice to be with someone, at least once, who knew the person before this body appeared. Someone who remembers me before a bounty put my life and the lives of everyone around me in danger.”

Moving closer, she held his face in her hand, turning him to look at her. His eyes stared into hers with incredible intensity.

“You’re an old soul, Amanda.”

“So are you.”

“As much as I crave this, crave you, I don’t want to lose everything we have. What happens after?”

“Will you still be my friend?” He nodded. “Then that’s what happens after.”

He slid his palm along the back of her neck and the warmth of it sank to the bone. Erick had always been stronger than he looked and he held her immobile for a long moment.

“You’re not like any other woman I’ve ever known, Amanda.”

He dropped his lips over hers and she moaned, the sound muffled by his mouth as his tongue licked past her lips and explored her. His arm wrapped around her, pulling her from the rock to his lap in a move that should have been awkward but wasn’t. It felt natural to tighten her legs around his waist as he increased the urgency of the kiss.

For this one night, she gave herself permission to touch him in every way she’d dreamed about.

No regrets.

Her hands went to the hem of his shirt, pulling it up so she could flatten her palms to the skin of his torso. A low growl vibrated from his chest in response and it made the hair on the back of her neck stand up.

Erick held her tightly, one hand in her hair and the other cupping her ass, keeping her sealed against his groin.

She didn’t know how long he kissed her, held her, let her stroke the hot skin of his upper body.

It felt like an instant and forever.

Her mind was hazy as he broke the kiss and stood with her wrapped around him. Full dark now, the low fire was their only light. He set her down to throw several pieces of wood on it.

Taking her hand, he grabbed his sleeping bag off the ATV and unzipped the small tent. Inside, she zipped it back up.

He didn’t mention the tripod she’d set up in the corner, pointed at the sleeping bags, that would take photos every ninety seconds. The sound and flash were off. The fire provided enough light. She was grateful he didn’t mention it because she was doing her best to ignore it. She turned it on and knelt on her sleeping bag while he unrolled his.

He smiled at the small cooler along the outer wall. “Snacks?”

“And drinks,” she answered. “I didn’t want you dehydrated.”

He lowered in front of her, their knees touching. “How thoughtful.”

“We’re never too young to worry about cellular health, Erick.” Now that the moment had arrived, there was a little piece of her panicking.

“Amanda?” She met his eyes. “By word or action, you can tell me to stop at any point.”

Most of her nervousness evaporated.

She maintained eye contact as she reached out to remove his t-shirt. She unbuckled his belt and the noise it made sounded insanely loud in the silence.

He sat back to remove his shoes and socks. She took the opportunity to do the same. Unbuttoning her jeans, she shimmied them down her legs and off.

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