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No, heaven would be a sunset with her by my side.
My tongue pushed forward, eager to tell her about a place no one knew about—a place that had this view every day and that belonged to me.
But that place… just like this woman… belonged to a future I couldn’t have.
The best response I could offer was a grunt as I turned and kept walking along the sand, hoping she’d follow.
“Did you mean what you said?”
Her voice stopped me, and when I turned, she pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. Instantly, a current of lust pushed through me. How long would it take until one look no longer set my body on fire?
“Back at the house, when you told your sisters about us, did you mean…”
My heart rocketed into the front wall of my chest. She couldn’t mean about me loving her, could she?No.That was out of the question.
“Kenz…”
“About letting Addy decide on my application because you…” She took measured steps forward as she spoke, stopping when she stood right in front of me.
Relief coursed through me, expelling in a quick exhale. “Because I was attracted to you?” I finished, arching a brow. “Yeah.” I dragged my hand through my hair and offered a sheepish smile. “Everything about you… undid me. And if I’d made the call, it would’ve been for selfish reasons that I couldn’t afford to encourage.”
She slid her tongue out and licked her lips. “Except now we’re married, so why aren’t we…”
The breeze wrapped around me with every evidence of her lust. The slight husk of her voice, the sweetness of her scent, the hint of her nipples pressed to the fabric of her dress.
My cock thickened in my jeans. There was no reason I couldn’t have her…and every reason I shouldn’t.
Against my better judgment, I cupped her face and brought my forehead down to hers, resting it there for long moments with nothing but the tide echoing between us.
“Because it will make this harder to end…” I rasped low, struggling to hide my own vulnerability.
Because it had to end.
Her head tipped upward, her gaze hooded and lingering on my lips, and I felt it happening again. The way the rest of the world faded like sand through my fingertips, leaving only her. The way I wanted Kenzie—wanted everything with her—consumed me in the most dangerous kind of way.
And the most selfish.
Her son was important. Blooms was important.And if I gave into the way I felt…I swallowed a bitter groan. I was strong enough to admit I wasn’t sure how the hell I’d be able to let go of a real relationship with her when the time came.
And the last thing I ever wanted was to put her in a position she felt like she couldn’t escape from again.
I straightened my neck and pressed my lips to her forehead, every inch of my body protesting before I pulled away.
“Let’s grab some hot dogs and head back.” I released her and stepped back, checking my watch though the damn thing could’ve read midnight for all I actually looked at it. “I don’t want to cut it close to your call with Jake.”
Her eyes flickered, but she wouldn’t argue when it came to putting Jake first.
“Okay.”
I looked past her to the Dog House, the hot dog stand on the boardwalk, and saw several familiar faces watching the two of us.
Of all the times to have to keep up appearances…
I tugged a smile to my lips and reached for Kenzie’s hand. Her inhale of surprise was obvious, and I quickly brought her knuckles to my mouth, murmuring over them, “Kane and Jackson, who work with Ace, and their wives are at the hotdog stand. We should go say hello.”
Understanding dawned on her. “Of course.” She smiled wide and tightened her fingers on mine, allowing me to lead the way off the beach and toward another group of friends who would no doubt respond with the same excitement when we told them we were married.
It was the most exquisite kind of torture to pretend to have something that would never fully be mine.
