Page 51 of Serenity Harbor

The moment the thought flashed across his brain, reality followed right behind, smacking him hard.

He had no business thinking about taking her to bed, slipping her out of those shorts and exploring all that luscious tawny skin.

Hell, he shouldn’t even bekissingher. Twenty-four hours ago, he had promised her he wouldn’t do this again.

Bowie liked to think he was a man of his word, one who could be trusted not to take advantage of a seductive moment of weakness when she had specifically asked him not to the night before.

Though every base, hungry instinct howled in protest, he eased his mouth away.

“I’m sorry. This is the part where you slap me.”

She stared at him, eyes wide and her breathing uneven.

“Where I...what?”

“I obviously don’t have very much self-control around you. I’m sorry,” he said again. “You asked me not to kiss you again, and I completely disregarded the request. You haven’t even been staying here twenty-four hours. I wouldn’t blame you for quitting.”

“You wouldn’t?”

“I would beg you to reconsider, if that’s the direction you’re leaning. You’re reaching Milo in a way I suspect no one else has. Please don’t make him suffer because of my mistake.”

She stared at him for a long moment, several emotions he couldn’t identify passing in quick succession across her expression.

“Let’s just consider this a mistake on both our parts,” she finally said, avoiding his gaze. “I already told you I’m weak when it comes to great-looking guys. I guess I just made that abundantly clear.”

“It wasn’t your fault.”

She didn’t look as if she believed him. “If we’re going to make this work for the next few weeks, we should probably avoid these late-night rendezvous, when we’re both tired and our judgment is questionable.”

“Agreed.”

“I’m going to bed,” she said, still avoiding his gaze. “Good night.”

She hurried from the room before he could say good-night in return, leaving him alone with his aching regret.

* * *

WHENSHEWASsafely in her bedroom next to Milo’s, she closed to the door with great care, then sank onto the wide bed.

Holy freaking cow.

With fingers that trembled, she touched her lips, where she could still taste him there. With a single kiss, he had completely smashed all her good intentions.

She wanted so much to open that door, wander through the house until she found him and jump back into his arms. It would be so easy. He had wanted her, too, which made her light-headed, stunned.

But not so distracted that she would forget her responsibilities. Needing to strengthen her resolve, she pulled out her tablet and flipped to the photo album, scrolling through her many pictures of Gabi.

The girl’s adorable smile beamed out at her, and Katrina’s racing heartbeat began to calm.

This.

She refused to let anything derail her from her goal of adopting this child, helping her obtain the medical care she needed for a long and meaningful life.

For once in her life, she had to focus on something bigger than what she wantedright now. She had to think about her daughter.

Needing a shower to clear her head—a cool one—she hurried into her en suite bathroom and turned on the water. As she shrugged out of her shorts and T-shirt, she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror, the full breasts that had developed around the time her seizures stopped.

Sometimes she wondered how differently she might have turned out if she’d stayed flat-chested and boyish, with freckles and hair she didn’t know how to tame.

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