Fuck. Me.
Val’s lips are even sweeter than the cheesecake, and far warmer. It takes all of my self-control to keep the kiss chaste, simple, instead of sending my tongue into her mouth, delving in like the animal in me wants.
Shit.
No.
SHIT!
One little moan spilling out of her kills me ten times and brings me back to life. In less than ten seconds, I’m drunk on this woman. She could be my personal distillery.
The only thing that holds me back is knowing she’ll hate me once she finds out I’ve been lying to her since the very start.
She even sighs as our lips part, still smiling, and climbs into the truck like she’s walking on sunshine.
End me. Right the fuck now.
Huffing the breath out of my stalled lungs, I pretend I can ignore the effects that kiss had on my whole body as I walk around to the driver’s door.
Good luck.
Ignoring the desire ripping through me feels like trying to ignore a flaming torch against my back, especially with the way it makes me want more of her. More than I’ve wanted in a long time.
“How long have we been married?” she asks.
Here we go. That question again. My jaw tightens.
I back the truck up and shift into drive before answering, “Not long, Val.”
“But how long is ‘not long?’”
When I don’t answer right away, she sighs.
I bite my tongue, really not wanting to add another lie to the roster.
“Why are you so weird about it?” she asks.
Easy.
“Because I don’t want you thinking about things you don’t remember. You’ll just get yourself all worked up, and we’ve had a nice day. Better to just let your memory come back on its own.”
She looks conflicted for a few heavy seconds, but then she smiles and reaches over, laying a hand on my thigh. “Fine. I guess I get why I fell in love with you. You’re an easy man to like, and just as easy to love.”
Fuck.
If only she knew…
Dread fills me at the same time fire arcs up and down my thigh from her touch. This has to stop.
I’ll tell Cash as soon as I see him. There has to be another way, a better way to make this work without lying to her all the frigging time.
I know the risks, but some tiny inkling of truth must be better than this.
My stomach clenches. Trouble is, any scrap of truth could cause her more anxiety.
I’ve seen that happen plenty of times since she tumbled into my world.
Why is this so screwed up? Why the fuck is this my life?
A poster boy for damned if you do, damned if you don’t.
I’m not alone. That’s the worst part. The woman sitting next to me has the same dilemma hanging over her, even if she doesn’t know it.
“We’ll be passing Kade’s truck again. You want another cheesecake?” I ask, changing the subject as we enter town.
“Nope, I’m still full.” She leans her head back. “And kinda sleepy.”
“Have a snooze,” I say, glancing back to the road.
I don’t mind her drifting off one bit. That means fewer questions.
Then I make the biggest mistake: thinking my luck’s about to change for the better.
A second later, I notice the big black SUV in the lot by the shrimp truck.
Normally, I wouldn’t think much about it, but the guy standing next to the SUV is dressed in black, too, and talking to Kael. There’s something on his hand, dark and over-stylized, a tattoo forever burned in my brain.
It’s one of Joel Cornaro’s men.
5
Safe For Now (Valerie)
Many Years Ago
The sun shines down through a soft breeze.
It’s a perfect day for the beach. We’re playing in the sand, flinging little puffs from the ground, then grabbing big handfuls and shaping it carefully.
It’s just me and this boy.
I’m young, too. Little. He’s older than me.
We’re busy, building up a sandcastle. He’s helping, stacking sand on the towers, making them a little taller than I can reach.
It’s a lot of fun. We’re focused and laughing.
Then he stands up.
He gives me a wild look, and a second later, stomps on my pretty little palace with both feet, kicking sand everywhere.
“Ha! You thought I wanted to waste the day building this dumb old thing? Now we’re having fun, poopy-pants.” He laughs into his hand.
It makes me sad, but I don’t cry.
It’s almost like I’m used to it…
To him acting like this, ruining everything I do, so I just swallow the pain down and wander off, looking for seashells. It’s a big beach.
I find a conch shell before long, probably something abandoned by a surfer. Mommy says they like to have big parties around here. I’m playing with it, dusting it off, when a shadow falls over me.
The boy is back. He wants to see it. He’s chasing me around, trying to grab behind my back where I’m hiding it.