Page 57 of Rebellious

Or a nightmare— if I allow a woman like Aspen to walk away.

She’s crazy.

Funny.

Beautiful.

And… loyal, even when she shouldn’t be.

Opening my eyes, I gaze into the depths of hers. I lift her chin, fighting the urge to look away. “You didn’t taunt me into kissing you,” I admit, my hand sliding up her cheek. Her eyes close and she leans into my touch. “I would never need a reason to kiss you.”

Her eyes fly open and I move my hand to the back of her head and step forward. “I can’t honor your rule.”

“What—”

I pull her to my chest, our faces mere inches apart. “I can’t do twenty-four hours with no rules.”

She tenses in my arms, and it kills another piece of me. This is the man she knows. This is the man who disappoints her every single day. Leaning in, my lips hover over hers, eager for another taste. “I should have told you before now…” Our lips press together. The heat, her soft body yielding into mine, it’s too much, our need for each other too exposed. I pull back just enough to feel a brush of her lips. “If we’re going to do this, Asp,” I swallow, “we’re going all in.”

She relaxes under my hands. “For the summer,” she offers with a broken smile. “And then we can walk away.”

I close my eyes. “Then we can walk away.”

“No one will ever know,” she adds, her voiced pained. “Especially our fathers.”

I feel myself nod ever so slightly against her.

This is not what I want.

This isn’t what she wants.

But it’s the only option we have.

“Do we have a deal, Bennett Jameson?”

I don’t answer her.

Instead, I close the gap between us and crash my mouth into hers.

“I can’t believe you’re leaving already.”

My mother knows something is up. “I’m sorry,” I say on a sigh. “I promise to come home more often.”

Being home, around all these memories, is hard enough. Once Aspen is gone, I doubt I’ll be able to stand it even more. But my mother doesn’t have to know that yet.

“Well, I’m sure you’ll have a better time at the lake, anyway.” Mom smiles, folding a shirt and laying it neatly in my suitcase. “You and Aspen always enjoyed the water.”

I nod, thinking about the little island we always claimed as ours. It was in a cove, away from the hustle and bustle of the boaters, only accessible by jet skis. “Yeah,” I agree. “The guys thought it would be a good idea to spend some time together before she leaves.”

Her brows arch, disbelieving. “Just the guys?”

I sigh. “Don’t start.”

She knows I want to spend as much time with Asp as possible.

“You know, Bennett,” she says, scooting closer, her hand on my cheek. “It’s okay to admit you’re going to miss her. You and Aspen have been best friends since you were old enough to reach for her.”

She smiles. “I was jealous of her, actually.”

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