Page 124 of Her Ex-Husband's Brother

My pulse stutters.

“Only a week?” I ask.

His gaze drops to my mouth for one dangerous second before he forces it back to the highway. “Don’t start with me in this car.”

“I’m not starting anything.”

“You are absolutely starting something.”

“I’m poisoned and frail. This is a medical emergency. You can’t accuse me of seduction.”

“Baby,” he says, rough and low, “you breathing in my direction counts as seduction.”

The wordbabyrolls through me, warm as whiskey. I close my eyes because if I keep looking at him, I’m going to forget my body is a crime scene and climb over the console anyway.

“I love when you forget to be careful,” I whisper.

He doesn’t answer for a second. Then, very quietly, “I’m only careful because you matter.”

August’s eyes flick to the dash.

“Oh shit. We’re almost out of gas.”

The mundane panic of it is so absurd I almost laugh too. “Of course we are.”

He checks the mirror, flips the blinker, and takes the next exit. The car dips off the highway onto the empty frontage road.

A gas station glows ahead and August pulls in under the canopy and parks at the farthest pump, angled so he can see the entrance, the road, and me.

The dome light comes on when he opens his door, and for a second he’s all shadow and broad shoulders. Then he leansacross the console, one hand braced beside my hip, and kisses the crown of my forehead.

It is the softest kiss in the world.

It still sends heat straight through me.

His mouth lingers there. “Stay with me,” he murmurs into my hair.

“I am.”

“I mean it.”

I lift my hand and catch the front of his hoodie, holding him close for one stolen second. I tilt my face up, and his eyes drop to my mouth.

We don’t kiss.

Maybe because his restraint is another way he loves me.

His fingers brush my cheek, so careful I want to cry. He’s alwayssodamn sweet.

When all this settles, I can’t wait to meet Owen. I bet the two of them are absolutely adorable together. A little mini-August? C’mon.

We’ll both be free of his family and then we can start our forever.

The thought is stupidly romantic. Too big for the inside of this truck and ridiculous for the night we’re having. But I let myself have it anyway.

I hear the gas start chugging into the truck and wrap my arms around myself in the residual heat. It’s chillier now with the engine off. My body can’t decide if it’s burning up or freezing, which is fun. Very fun. Ten out of ten, would not recommend being maybe-poisoned by your husband and then fleeing to a hospital far, far away.

I let my eyes close.