Page 69 of Second Chance Savior

“Nobody has to know what we do,” I murmured.

She sucked in another breath, and the spark in her eyes turned to a full-on forest fire.

Slowly, I walked toward her. My chin lowered as I held her gaze. When I was centimeters away, standing over her, I used a single fingertip to brush the strands of hair from her forehead. Her eyelids fluttered closed.

Certain aspects of my personality had made me an effective operative during my career. But Charlie knew those things about me.

Now, she also knew how I felt. How I burned for her.

The final choice was hers, but was it wrong if I used the tools in my arsenal if every word was true?

“I know you don’t feel the same way I do. I don’t expect anything from you. But I could show you how much I want you. All the things I’ve longed to do to you since we were teenagers. I think you want that too.”

With effort, she backed up once again. One foot. Then another. “We’ve both agreed that we shouldn’t. For many reasons. We’re grown adults. We should be able to coexist in the same space and keep our hands off each other. Right?”

I said nothing. I didn’t have much chance because she barely paused before continuing to ramble.

“Right,” she said. “So, we figure out how to manage this. I feel safer when you’re near me, but we can be doing different things. Very different, very non-sexual things. Without touching.”

I smiled. “Charlie.”

“You can do your computer stuff, and I’ll, I don’t know, play solitaire or cook dinner or something. And we will not cross any more lines. Or look at each other. Or look at the bed.” She started toward the cabin.

“Charlie.”

She whirled to face me, eyes wild.

“Come here and kiss me.”

“Yes. Okay.”

She ran toward me and threw her arms around my neck. I held onto her waist, lifting her off her feet. Our mouths fused together.

This was it. This washome. Forever wasn’t in the cards for us, but at least I’d finally know what it was like to call her mine.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Charlotte

River walkedme backward toward the cabin. We were a whirlwind of deep, urgent kisses, hands gripping each other’s clothes. I lifted the back of River’s shirt and slid beneath to touch the broad, warm expanse of his back.

Then he must have lost patience, because he lifted me by the hips and carried me, our lips still locked.

Somehow, we got through the door and inside. He didn’t bother to close it, and yellow sunshine followed us in. The sweet, grassy smell of the air, mixing with the masculine scent of him. All of it so overwhelming.

“What are we doing?” I asked.

River set me on my feet and kissed his way down my jaw to my neck. “Whatever we want.”

Shudders of desire raced down to my toes and back again. “And nobody has to know.”

“I’m not gonna tell them.” He sucked at the skin below my ear. “At this moment, nothing exists but us.”

Avoiding reality. It really was a great strategy. I wanted River, no matter how unwise it was. Regardless of the chaos and danger we’d temporarily escaped from. None of that mattered.

This man had a way of bringing out the impulsive, reckless side of me. And it feltgood. Liberating.

I grabbed the edge of my shirt to lift it up, but River stopped me. His lips were wet, eyes hooded. “Slow down. I’ve waited a long time for this.”

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