Page 71 of Edge of Heaven

I start to protest, but she puts a gentle finger over my lips. “I know you wouldn’t do what Callum does. Iknowthat. But you’re too important to me to start our relationship based on need. Not again. It’s different, but in my heart it would be us starting off with something between us—and I don’t want that. I need to figure this out on my own. I have to. Can you understand?”

I sigh. “I do and I don’t. I’m in love with you, Taryn. I know it’s soon and crazy and all the things our friends would tell us, but I can’t pretend like I’m not.”

“I’m falling for you too,” she whispers. “That’s why it’s so important to me that I get myself out of this mess I’m in.”

“Okay.” I nod, even though I hate it.

Now that I know for sure she feels what I feel, I need to get her away from Callum. Sooner rather than later. I respect her wishes, and I understand the idea that she wants us to basically start with a clean slate. But this seems like such a big sacrifice on her part. The idea that he touches her every night—forces her to do things she doesn’t want to do—it just rubs me the wrong way.

“Michael?” Her voice changes slightly, one of her hands on my face.

“Yeah, baby?”

“Will you kiss me?”

“I’ll do anything you want.” I lean in and capture her lips with mine. It’s late and we’re both exhausted, but my heart—and regions farther south—are extremely excited about this turn of events.

I pull her astride me and the kiss deepens, a soft whimper escaping her as we explore each other as thoroughly as we can without taking things to the next level.

“Been a long time since I’ve been relegated to second base,” I murmur playfully.

“Third base is on the table,” she whispers.

“Yeah?” I smile. “You know I can wait, right? We don’t have to do anything if you’re not comfortable.”

“It’s not about comfort. Initially, I didn’t want to be a woman that cheats, but I don’t feel that loyalty to him anymore. Not with how he treats me. The fact that he doesn’t hesitate to get blow jobs when I’m away and then spanked me so hard he left bruises. I’m done with him. Me wanting to wait goes a lot deeper than whether or not I’m technically cheating.”

“I understand all of that, and I’m okay with it. What I’m not completely sure about is what third base entails.”

She giggles. “I’m not completely sure either.” She runs a hand down my chest, over my abdomen, and to the area just above my groin. “Hand jobs? Fingering?”

I chuckle. “You tell me.”

“I feel like we’re in high school again, trying to figure out how far we want to go.”

“So you don’t get pregnant.” I grin.

She laughs and holds up her arm. “I know what you’re trying to say, but just FYI—I have a birth control implant. No matter what happens, you don’t have to worry about that.”

“Good to know, but I’m a big proponent of condoms.”

“I remember.”

“So tell me about third base. I don’t want to overstep any boundaries.”

“How about we play a game?” she suggests, a wicked gleam in her eye. Then before I realize what’s happening, she slowly pulls off her dress, leaving her in nothing but a tiny black thong.

I swallow, eyes glued to her beautiful body. “What, um…what kind of… game?”

“Theeverything butgame.”

Chapter24

Taryn

I watchas his eyes go molten.

He’s hard—I can feel him pressed against my backside since I’m straddling him—but it’s the look in his eyes that gets to me. No one has ever looked at me the way Mick does. Like I’m the moon, the stars, and all the constellations of the universe. And I’m his.

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