Page 121 of That Last Secret

“Do not let go of me.”

Her palms press into my stomach, telling me she understands what I’m asking, but she says the words I need anyway. “I won’t.”

I pull out of the parking garage and onto the street. The ride to the gym is only a couple of blocks and I wish it would last longer. The feeling of having her against me on the bike makes me want to never let her go.

When I turn onto the main street that leads to the gym, I keep one hand on the throttle and use my other hand to cover hers. I intertwine our fingers as she holds me tighter than before.

I want to turn this bike around, skip the gym and get her in bed, holding her the way I really want to hold her right now.

But the gym coming into view erases those thoughts.

I throw the bike in park and she leaps off it as if it’s on fire.

I turn off the engine, remove my helmet and dismount before my hand grips her wrist, pulling her back to me. My other hand finds the small of her back, holding her flush to me.

She removes her helmet and her eyes bore into me with concern.

“I just needed to hold you again.”

Her smile is soft and warm, like a blanket covering every part of me that needs comforting. I run my palm over the top of her head, smoothing her messy hair before finding the back of her head and pulling her for a kiss.

My lips meet hers, and everything around me blurs.

I’ve kissed people before, but kissing Emiline Ford feels like the world stops spinning on its axis. It awakens a part of me I never knew existed to the point where I’m ready to derail everything I’ve worked my entire life for.

It feels like giving up everything for her.

Reluctantly, I pull away from her.

“What was that?” she asks curiously.

“I’ve been wanting to kiss you all day, all week. I never thought I’d be the type of man to say this, but I’m starting to feel like being apart from you is slowly killing me. Like kissing you is the air I need to breathe each day.”

A smile stretches across Emiline’s face as her hand comes up to cup my jaw, and on instinct my face melts into it, feeling her warmth against my skin while her thumb strokes my cheekbone.

“Good thing I’m not going anywhere, and neither are you.”

I nod before blindly gesturing behind us. “Let’s get inside.”

Once we’re inside and settled, Emiline stands in the middle of the ring. The single spotlight overhead being the only thing illuminating her in the dark. I’ve always said she’s too pure to corrupt with the darkness that lingers inside of me.

Her standing there only confirms that.

“Ready?” I ask.

Emiline nods, moving to pick up some gloves, and puts them on like she’s been doing this for years. She hasn’t, but we’ve been doing these sessions for a while now.

Both of us escape everything around us together.

She throws the first few punches into my mitts, and I see something change in her—anguish. It’s like doing this is painful for her tonight.

I let her throw a few more before I wrap my hands around her forearms, stopping her in her tracks.

“Talk to me.”

She shakes her head. “Keep going.” She tries to throw a few more punches, but I don’t let her. “Logan! Let’s just do this.” I toss my mitts to the side and work to remove the gloves from her hand.

She silently fights me, annoyed as hell that I’m stopping her.

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