Chapter 23
FLYNN
Flynn triedto steady his breath but failed. His entire body burned with an uncapped current of electricity. His fingers tingled against Sage’s lower back, itching to slide beneath the hem of her shirt and feel her soft skin.
He’d never wanted anyone more than he wanted Sage in that moment, and his emotions warred with each other—desire against duty.
He could kiss her, and she wouldn’t stop him. He saw the longing in her eyes. The intensity matched his own need, quickly blazing out of control.
But desperate as he was to taste her lips again—lips that had consumed his thoughts for the last ten years—he couldn’t do it. He couldn’t kiss her. Not when he still had so much to say, to confess and amend. It wouldn’t be right.
She parted her lips and released a shuddering breath. The seductive sound nearly sent him over the edge. He tensed his muscles, determined to maintain control. But if he didn’t step away soon, he was in serious danger of kissing her. And with the mounting hunger coursing through his body, he couldn’t trust himself to stop at one kiss.
Luckily, Cap came to his rescue.
The nutty, storm-loving dog barked again, as if to coax another wave againstMira’s hull. The noise broke through his single-minded concentration, and he inched back, dropping his hands at his sides. “We should try to get some sleep.”
“Uh-huh,” she murmured, sounding distracted. Or was it disappointment he heard?
Wishful thinking. “How’s your ankle? Can you walk back?” He prayed she answered in the affirmative. He didn’t want to think about what would happen if he needed to carry her.
His temperature rose as his mind conjured a vision of Sage nestled in his arms.Get it together.
“Good as new.” She scooped her phone off the ground, flooding the galley with light. Without glancing over her shoulder, she led the way out.
For the next five minutes, while Flynn changed into dry clothes, he gave himself a pep talk.
Relax. It’ll be fine. Cap will be a buffer. Just close your eyes and get some sleep. There’s nothing to worry about.
He felt marginally confident in his game plan until he exited the head and caught sight of Sage snuggled in bed with Cap.
Silver light streamed through the butterfly hatch, illuminating the woman he loved as she cuddled his dog.
He was a goner.
“The waves seem to have settled,” she noted, scratching Cap behind the ears. “And the rain seems softer, too.”
“That’s good. Maybe we’ll actually get some sleep, then.”Ha! Not a chance.
He avoided looking in her direction as he ran a hand along the bed frame.Perfect!Just what he’d been looking for. He flipped up the custom guardrails. “These will come in handy, just in case.” He rounded the bed to her side, still averting his gaze as he locked her padded guardrail into place. Even on his best day, he couldn’t handle how tempting she looked in her huggably soft pj’s, with her unruly hair begging to be tangled in his fingertips.
“Thanks. That’ll make me feel a lot safer. I almost spilled out of bed a dozen times.”
Now, he’d be here to catch her.
He shushed his unhelpful thoughts.Focus on sleep. Sleeeeeep. His one-track mind seemed to struggle with the concept.
Cap wiggled, clearly in heaven, as Flynn crawled into bed on his other side.
“Did I warn you he snores?”
“That’s okay.” Sage nuzzled Cap’s snout. “I doubt I’ll be able to sleep much, anyway.”
You and me both.
He plopped his head against the pillow and stared straight up at the inky black sky. Raindrops dappled the window, blurring the few stars he could see. How would his life be different if he’d gone on the sailing adventure with Sage all those years ago? He wouldn’t have Cap, which was a sad thought.
Maybe he needed to focus less on rewriting the past and more on what he could do now to change the present.
