Page 105 of Falling Overboard

“I’m glad I make you not think,” he said, pressing a kiss to the underside of my jaw. “Get ready to do a whole bunch of not thinking.”

He kissed his way up, heading toward my ear. He sucked the bottom of the lobe into his warm mouth and I gasped while arching against him, stars exploding behind my eyelids.

“Still not thinking?” he murmured against my skin.

“Totally blank,” I said breathlessly, my heart thudding dangerously hard, my lungs constricting so tightly I was worried they might cut off my oxygen flow.

He moved down to a spot I hadn’t even realized was sensitive, just behind my ear, toward the back of my neck. I gasped again, digging my fingers into his shirt as zings of pleasure shot up and down my spine. It had me shuddering against him.

“Are you sure you didn’t major in anatomy?” I asked as the way he was kissing my throat drove me completely wild. I felt like I was barely hanging on to reality.

“Minored in it,” he teased as he ghosted his lips along my collarbone, staying tantalizingly out of reach. “I aim to please.”

“That’s not what you said before.”

Now he was kissing my collarbone and I felt him grin against my skin. “Depends on the situation. And when it comes to you, I’ll always aim to please.”

And I was so, so glad.

As he continued on his quest to make me not think, I realized that we were brushing right up against that line I had set for us.

Technically we weren’t breaking the rule, although most likely we were breaking it in spirit.

Only, once again, I didn’t care. This was going to be a problem.

I had told myself it was better to be safe than sorry.

But I was careening headfirst toward sorry.

We were tangled up in each other the next morning as Hunter gently kissed my forehead.

“The captain trusts me,” I said. “I don’t want to ruin that trust.”

“I understand that.”

“I’m not qualified for this job. He took a big risk on me.”

He kissed the tip of my nose. “You’re more than qualified. You’re the best chief stew I’ve ever worked with.” He let out a puff of air as I poked him in the chest.

“I’m the only chief stew you’ve ever worked with!”

“But still the best.” Now he was running his fingers along my hair, tucking it behind my ear.

“I can’t let him down.”

“No, you can’t.”

“Stop being so agreeable!” I protested.

“Sorry.” He didn’t sound sorry, though. “What is it you want me to tell you?”

“I ...” I wanted him to say that everything would be all right. That he and I had a future and would find a way to be together. That he wouldn’t cheat on me and wouldn’t abandon me the first time things got hard.

That he loved me.

Too soon,that voice inside me said.

“I could tell you ... that this is definitely my lucky day,” he said as he kissed my cheek. “Or that every day with you is my lucky day.”

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