Page 112 of Counting On You

The breaking part is meant as a joke, and yet it isn’t.

“Your will?” He steals a soft kiss that feels like my legs have just sped off in the distance—leaving me behind. I lean into him, wanting more but he pulls away, continuing, “There’s no chance I’ll let that happen. Before I break you, you’ll have to rip me to pieces first, because I would rather lose my heart than be without you.” He looks at me before adding softly, “As a friend, of course.”

Of course.

He’s made that part clear on so many occasions that it shouldn’t come as a surprise. And yet a heavy weight grows inside my chest, cutting off my air supply.

But what choice do I have?

His words are sweet as honey, and yet meaningless. Even though I shouldn’t, I want to be close to him. I simply can’t stay away.

“Okay. Let’s do this.” I turn to head down the narrow path when his hand clasps around mine, stopping me.

“We’re taking the bike.”

I shoot a wary look at the bicycle. That thing doesn’t look like it’s made for two people. In fact, I doubt anyone should be riding on it. “Are you kidding me? It can’t carry us both.”

“You’re scared.” His eyes are glinting with something, and his expression softens. “I’ll teach you. It’s not hard.”

“What if I fall off?”

He lets go of my hand and cups my chin, tipping it back until I’m forced to look at him.

“If you fall, I’ll be there to catch you. There’s no way I’d ever let you get hurt.” He kisses me on the corner of my lips, lingering on my lower lip. His touch is soft, gentle, his soul fused with mine. His fingers trail down my back, kneading the knots in my muscles.

“Ready to give it a try?” he asks, pulling away.

I nod, still intoxicated from his kiss. His strong hands hold me steady as he lifts me onto the handlebars. I long to hold on to them, to stay in his arms for a little longer, but like everything else that’s too good in life, his embrace is over too soon. My whole body tenses as he gives the bike a push and settles onto the seat.

As the bicycle rolls down the path, I jerk forward, my legs dangling in the air. A startled yelp escapes my throat, followed by a shriek of relief and laughter.

“I can’t believe we’re doing this.” It’s both fun and exhilarating. Having conquered my fear, I feel like I’m on top of the world with Kade right beside me.

“You’re doing great, baby,” Kade says, joining in my laughter. I love the sound—deep and manly, the waves carrying through my body and leaving a delicious tingle behind.

I want to peer at him over my shoulder, but my confidence is not there. For one, I could still fall off. And then there’s also the fact that I might like what I see a little too much.

We circle around the island in silence while the wind’s playing with my hair and my body’s relaxing more and more with every passing moment. For the first time, I really feel alive and free, as though we’ve escaped the web of time.

I only notice that we’ve reached the historical site—a red brick building—when the bicycle comes to a halt and Kade jumps down, catching me in his arms.

“We’re here,” he says, needlessly.

I nod and stare up at him. This is the moment I should be prying myself away from his arms, but all I can think about is that he smells of the sun and the woods around us. The nerves inside my body fire all at once, and my insides clench in response. I want to snuggle up against him and run my hands up and down his ripped torso. Beg him to take me to a secluded spot and guide him inside me so he can fill the space that’s always empty without him.

“You sure this is a good idea?” The question is addressed more to myself than him. I’m not sure how long I’ll be able to enjoy his presence without ripping the clothes off his glorious body.

“Now it is.” He jiggles the handle and pushes the door open. “Please.” He gestures for me to enter and follows after me.

“Why? So you can pretend I was the one breaking in and you were merely an innocent bystander?” I laugh at his fake-innocent smirk.

“You caught me there.”

I watch him spread a blanket across the hardwood floor of the reception hall and pour us two glasses of wine as I settle on the blanket.

“Wow. You really thought of everything.” I take the glass from his outstretched hand.

“I always please.”

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