Page 75 of The Two Last Moments

“So you want to keep looking into it?”

“Yes,” she says firmly. “I do. I want to find Travis for Nina.”

I have my own mixed feelings about my uncle. And a lot of ambivalence about whether it’s worth finding him. We can’t forget that there are people out there who want to hurt Lark, people who may be trying to find a way to reach her even now.

But whatever we discover, nothing could change the way I feel about her.

Thisis the kind of woman she is—determined to help Nina, even if she might put herself in greater danger in the process. I’ll stand by Lark’s decision, but I’ll continue making it my mission to keep her safe. She’ll be right at my side.

“You’re okay with that?” she asks.

“I am. If it’s what you want. As long as we do it together.” I lift her hand and kiss her knuckles. This brave, incredible woman. And she’s mine.

“I’m not taking you away from Nina?” she asks. “Between yesterday and today, I feel like I’m getting all your attention.”

“There’s enough of me to go around.”

Lark rolls her eyes and smiles.

I’m still determined to take care of Nina and Lark both, even if it means relying on the hired nurses a bit more than before. It just happens that I have two people who mean everything to me instead of just one. I’ve seen the way Matteo juggles all his responsibilities. I might’ve considered it crazy before, but now I’m getting it. This is thatbigfeeling he’s described to me. Like you could be a one-man army for the people you care about. Your family.

That girl needs someone, Nina said.More than anything, she needs…love.

“C’mere,” I say, opening my arms. “Let’s get comfy.”

We stretch out on the blanket. Lark pillows her head against my chest, while I draw shapes with my fingertips on her back. I love this, getting to touch her and be affectionate. If I had my way, I’d have my hands on Lark as much as possible.

“You really like this willow tree, don’t you?” I ask. “You sit out here a lot.”

“I do. I think this is my favorite spot in West Oaks. Even more favorite than the garage with your beautiful cars.”

“Damn, that’s saying something.” I lean over to kiss her forehead. “You can enjoy being happy. You deserve that. As for the rest, we don’t have to figure it out right now.”

She smiles up at me coyly. “There’s something else I’d rather do right now.”

“I hope it’s kiss me.”

Lark fists my T-shirt and pulls me down until our lips meet.

Last night, Lark admitted to being nervous about having sex. And the truth was, I was nervous too. I was afraid of hurting her, of going too fast and doing something she would regret. I felt like I was taking her virginity, and that’s a big responsibility. A responsibility I welcomed, but I took it seriously. I wanted everything perfect for her.

I think I did a decent job, judging by how loud she got. So fucking sexy. I love it when I woman shows me what she likes.

But as I kiss her now, things feel more settled between us. This is exactly where we should be. In each other’s arms. Looking back over the last month, I’d say this was inevitable. There was a gravity between us that we couldn’t escape. We only tortured ourselves by trying.

Now that we’re together, I want to give her every kind of pleasure. To fill her mind and her heart with only the best experiences. And the fact that we’re under the willow tree, Lark’s favorite place? I’m getting all kinds of dirty ideas. I’ve never claimed to be a perfect angel, but this woman does something downright wicked to me. Makes me want to be good to her by beingoh so bad.

I shift us so Lark is on her back and I’m above her. She wraps her legs around my waist, the green fabric of her dress bunching up a bit. I run my hands over her body, using a firm touch as I squeeze her curves. I started off gentle with her last night, but I noticed that she liked things rougher.

I want to keep trying things. Finding out what else makes her lose control.

I slide my hand downward, lifting up the hem of the fabric enough to reach underneath. My hand wanders over her panties and bare smooth skin for a while as we make out. Then I separate from her, sitting back on my heels, and grab hold of the elastic waistband of her panties. I tug until I’ve pulled the scrap of cotton all the way over her legs and off. The panties tuck into the back pocket of my jeans.

She looks up at me with a shocked smile. “Are you doing what I think you’re doing?”

I put my finger to my lips. “Unless you want me to stop, then you should stay quiet,” I murmur. “We don’t want anyone coming outside to investigate what we’re up to.”

She sucks in a breath, but she doesn’t tell me no. Instead, Lark watches me with wide eyes to see what I’ll do next.

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