Page 123 of The Perfect Wrong

It’s not like she’s my girlfriend.

In the SEALs, we were trained to suss out the flaws in our own thoughts before they became fatal mistakes, and I’m catching myself now.

I don’t care how beautiful she looks, or how much I wish I could burn away the lonely regrets in her big brown eyes.

We’ve got one more night—and one night alone—to make memories worth keeping.

One more night of splendor, booze, and blinding passion before it’s back to the dark of reality.

And in that reality, relationships don’t fit.

I know she’ll be okay in the end.

Evie and Bruce will one hundred percent self-destruct sooner or later. She’ll help pick up the pieces and set things right.

When I gag the jealous little devil in my head, I even hope like hell there’s a good man waiting for her someday. A man with the patience and heart to help her sweep up the fallout of our family shit.

He just won’t be me.

He can’t be.

Delia’s future is too bright to end up with a military man who never learned how to hitch emotions to what lands on his dick.

Reality sucks, but reality rules.

I know what I need to do tonight.

For the next twelve hours, I’ll make Delia Burr happier than she’s ever been.

Then with one last biting, soul-shredding kiss, I’ll be gone.

* * *

We’re outsideon the balcony, overlooking the Vegas skyline for the last time.

Even if it’s so beautiful it’s otherworldly out here, I can only drink it in with quick snatches before turning back to what owns my gaze.

Delia, curled up on my lap, her legs slung over me.

Her breath quickens as she breathes me in. I let her have her fill with her face buried in my shoulder.

The fingers I comb through her hair slowly form a greedy fist.

My cock wants to rip straight through my trousers and take her right here, right now, but the mutinous bastard beating in my chest tells me to slow down and savor this.

Enjoy her, you unhinged coyote.

Just this once, I let him win.

We actuallycuddle—a word that was never in my vocabulary before—and I’m shocked to admit it isn’t half bad.

Shame I know having her under me is a thousand times hotter.

After twenty minutes of quiet and closeness, I can’t do tender anymore.

“Princess, look at me.”

“Yeah?” Tears are brimming in her eyes, reflecting the golden light below.

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