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I shook my head and giggled. “Jealous much?”
“When it comes to you, always.”
The alcohol in me was making me less inhibited. I arched a brow. “Even after all this time?”
Our eyes locked, and Lincoln’s smile faded. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he nodded. “Yeah, even after all this time.”
My chest tightened as we continued to stare at each other in silence. I could practically hear my heart pounding in my chest as our eyes searched the other’s, seeking what we’d lost so many years before.
After a few moments, I launched into Lincoln’s lap, unable to control myself any longer. I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about our kiss from earlier that day, and my buzz gave me just enough courage to act on my desires.
My arms flew around his neck as my lips met his. Lincoln parted my lips with his tongue and threaded his fingers through my hair as I pressed myself against his solid chest. Groaning, he gripped my hips and pressed me down against his growing length.
I moaned from the hard feel of him, more aware of my aching sex than I had been in years.
Lincoln tore his mouth from mine, panting for air. I attempted to reconnect our lips, desperate for more, but Lincoln placed his hands on my shoulders. “Stop. I can’t do this.”
My heart sank as embarrassment overcame me.
He doesn’t want me.
I hopped off Lincoln’s lap like it was on fire and slid off the bed of his truck. I couldn’t believe how impulsive and stupid I’d acted. My eyes blurred with tears as I made my way toward the road.
“Liv, wait. Can we just talk for a minute?” Lincoln called after me.
Humiliated didn’t even come close to how I felt. I couldn’t bear to look at Lincoln and feel the sting of his rejection again, so I ignored him, increasing my pace to a jog. I needed to get the hell out of there and salvage what little was left of my pride.
I heard Lincoln spew a string of curses from behind me, and after a few seconds, he had caught up to me. “Please, Liv, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you. Can you just stop and talk to me?”
I shook my head, fighting back tears. I kept jogging as Lincoln kept pace next to me.
“Liv, come on,” Lincoln pleaded, grabbing my arm and pulling me to a stop. “Let me explain.”
I wrenched my arm from his grasp, trying to keep my emotions at bay. “Just leave me alone, Lincoln. You don’t have to explain anything. I understand loud and clear.”
His brow furrowed, his mouth setting in a frown. “No, you don’t. I—”
“Don’t,” I interrupted, holding up my hand to stop him. “Let’s just forget this ever happened and focus on Piper.”
I didn’t wait for him to respond as I turned and continued toward the road. Part of me wanted him to come after me, but from our past, I knew he wouldn’t.
When I’d left the first time, I’d told Lincoln not to come after me; that there was nothing that he could do to salvage what we’d had after the adoption. Even though I’d said that, deep down I’d felt differently. I’d wanted him to come after me and prove me wrong.
But he hadn’t. And who could blame him? I’d basically treated him like an old rag doll that I no longer wanted.
I was getting a taste of my own medicine, feeling the sting of rejection that I’d dished out so easily years ago. I deserved it for the way I’d treated Lincoln, but that didn’t mean it didn’t hurt.
The walk back to the hotel wasn’t too long—you could practically walk anywhere in Beaufort in less than ten minutes. By the time I got up to my hotel room, I was ready to go to sleep and put an end to the day.
I kicked off my shoes and stripped out of my clothes, then fell into the bed. From the combination of alcohol and mental exhaustion, I quickly drifted off to sleep.
I barely slept, tossing and turning over what had happened with Lincoln. He’d called and texted me several times after I’d run off, but I was too humiliated to talk to him.
I felt like I’d just fallen asleep when my phone rang. The morning sun streamed in through the curtains, and I blindly felt around the bed for my phone.
When I finally found the annoying device, I didn’t even look before answering it. “Hello,” I mumbled, still half-asleep.
“Are you still in bed? I’m about to leave for brunch,” a chipper Beth sounded on the other end of the line.
