Chapter Fourteen
“That was a freaking long night,” Lori said when they entered the sanctuary of Jackson’s home.
“You can say that again,” he said, collapsing on the couch in the living room.
“How do you think it all went?” she asked as she perched on the side of the sofa.
He ran his hands down his face. “Hard to say. There were a few slips.”
“We knew it was a risk we had to take.”
“Marc should have come home.”
She slid down to sit on the cushions. “He couldn’t, and you know why.”
“I know, but he’s got to be better at this than I am.”
“I always got the sense that you were the business genius. He didn’t fight you for control when your father died. There was no doubt in anyone’s mind you were the right man for the job.”
“That was before.” He pushed to his feet, pacing the length of his spacious living room. “I’m not the right man for the job anymore.”
Unable to watch him, she crossed the distance between them. “Hey,” she said, catching his hands in hers. “It’s not your fault you have amnesia. No one can blame you for that.”
“They can blame me for hiding it.”
Man has a point. “It’s for the good of the company. We all agreed.”
“Funny how the best laid plans fall apart once you’re in the middle of them. We did this wrong. Notifying the board should have been our first move.”
“With everyone racing to merge before our rivals do? The board could have weighed the benefits and potential profit loses and put a for-sale sign on our door. Is that what you want? To lose the company your father founded?”
“Maybe it would have been the right move. If HynCor pulls this off before us we could lose everything, including pensions. Maybe we should have folded to protect people’s lives.”
“And put thousands out of work across the country.”
“Better that than losing everything they have.”
“Hey.” She pulled him toward her with his hands. “Stop it. It’s too late to go back now, and the plan is working. Buy time for Marc, appease the board, keep up the charade. You can do it.”
His dark gaze rose to hers. “You mean, we can do it.”
Her smile was slight. “I’ll do whatever I can to help.”
“Because you care about the company.”
“I do.”
“And because you care about me.”
She drew in a sharp breath, but finally nodded. “I do.” The words were soft, but it wasn’t like they were a secret anymore. When the real Jackson returned, he’d remember everything that happened. Every kiss. Every touch.
She’d have no place to hide anymore.
But between running him over and dumping champagne on Trisha, it’s not like I have a job to protect, anyways.
Just her pride. Battered as it was.
“I hate that I don’t know who I was before all this.”
“You were a good man.”
He looked away. “A better man.”
“No.”
The word was so soft she wasn’t sure he’d heard.
But when he turned back to her there was something unreadable in his eyes. “No?”
She dropped his hands and stepped back. “You’ve been doing exceptionally well. Give yourself a break. This is an impossible situation.” She walked back to the couch. “It’s late. We should call it a night.”
But when she turned to go, he caught her hand.
“Which me do you prefer?” he asked, ignoring the rest of her words. “Who I was before, or the man I am now?”
“Not fair,” she said. “You’re the same person.”
“Same, and yet different.”
Yes.
“Can’t you even give me this much?”
“What good would it do?” she demanded. “If I say I liked you better with your memories, you’ll be hurt. And if I say I like you more now, it’s only temporary. You will get your memories back, Jackson, and when you do, questions like this will be moot.”
“It’s not moot now. In fact, I have a feeling it’s incredibly important.”
“Seriously?” she said.
“Yes. And I’ve been told I have excellent instincts.”
“For business.”
“Splitting hairs.” He pulled her closer. “So, tell me. Would you have kissed the old me on my patio?”
“No.”
“The kitchen then?”
She shook her head. “Nowhere. I would never have done that.”
“Then what changed?”
A helpless sound escaped her throat. “I don’t know. Without your memories…”
“What?”
She dropped her head. “You didn’t remember how little I mattered to you.”
The breath left him in a rush. “How?” he demanded. “How is that possible?”
“I don’t know.”
“One blow to the head, and I’m a completely different person?”
“Not completely. Just…when it comes to me.”
“Why did you stay to help me?”
Guilt.
“I always admired you,” she said instead. “I didn’t need to be your lover to be impressed by the world you were creating. I wanted to help you in any way I could.”
He was silent for long enough that she lifted her head.
“I don’t understand a hell of a lot that’s happening.”
“I know.”
“But there’s one thing I understand. I want you, Lori. I’ve made no bones about that.”
And I want you. Way too much.
Her gaze dropped to his lips. It would be so easy to give in. To take what she wanted and throw morality out the window. What did any of this matter, anyways?
He wasn’t hers to keep.
“Tell me now,” he said, pulling the clip from her hair and letting it rain down around her shoulders. “If you don’t want me, too, tell me.”
She opened her mouth, but no sound came out.
A smile curved his lips. “Best news I’ve heard all night.”
Then his mouth was on hers.
Heat surged through her body as it always did when he touched her. She gripped his lapels for balance as she closed her eyes. Every time he kissed her the world stopped, but this time felt different. Less controlled, more desperate.
And she knew exactly how he felt.
The hand in her hair tugged her head to the side as he deepened the kiss. Need clawed through her as she pressed her body closer to his.
What are you doing? her conscience whispered.
Shut up, she snapped back.
She slid her hands inside his jacket, running them up his chest and over his shoulders.
He released her long enough for the suit to fall to the ground before taking her back into his arms.
Twirling her, he walked them backward toward the couch. They trampled on his jacket by accident and he didn’t even pause. Thousands of dollars underfoot, and neither of them cared.
He tumbled her back onto the couch and followed her down, covering her body with his.
I should put a stop to this.
But the weight of his body on hers sent a thrill down her spine she couldn’t ignore. Unable to stop herself, she shifted under him until his leg slipped between hers.
Bad Lori. What are you doing?
Self-recriminations flew out the window, however, when he ran his lips down her sensitive throat.
Lust pounded through her body. Being bad was so much more fun than following her own rules.
Throwing back her head to give him better access, she tried to immerse herself into the experience but something held her back. This was her wildest fantasies come to life. She should be ecstatic, and instead…
You can’t shut me up forever, her conscience said.
Even if she wanted to.
Cupping his face, she kissed him with renewed desperation.
He doesn’t know you did this to him. Tell the truth.
And end it all.
With a cry, she pushed him away, rolling from the couch.
“What?” he demanded, sitting up. His hair was tousled, several of his shirt buttons had come undone. There was a wild light in his eyes as he stared at her, demanding an explanation.
“I can’t,” she said, tunneling her fingers through her hair. “I can’t do this.”
“Because of my memories?” he asked, pushing himself up. “I’m telling you, I don’t care. You’re not taking advantage. I’m not an invalid anymore.”
“No,” she whispered. “It’s much worse.”
“You don’t want this? Me?”
A pained laugh escaped her. “Trust me, that’s not the problem.”
“Then what?”
She turned to see him there, on the couch, watching her with confusion stamped on his face.
It’s not fair.
He had no clue why she’d pulled away. He didn’t know that he’d hate her once she told him the truth.
This is wrong.
It wasn’t the sort of person she wanted to be. She was honest and kind. Right now, dealing with the most important person in the world to her, she was neither of those things.
Her heart clenched. If she told him the real reason, she’d never get to touch him again. Never get to help him.
But he can survive without you now. There’s no excuse to keep silent.
She owed him better than this.
“Sweetheart?”
Her heart broke. Returning to the couch, she cupped his face and took one last selfish thing. If this was the last time she’d ever get to kiss him, she’d better make it count.
She could feel his surprise in his touch, but he was more than willing to follow her lead, wrapping his arms around her.
He feels so good against me.
Like they were meant to fit together.
Her throat grew tight at the fanciful thought.
With a last brush of her lips over his, she drew back.
“Not that I’m complaining, but what’s happening?”
“Nothing,” she whispered. “Nothing will happen after this.” Swallowing, she forced herself to release him and move back on the couch. “I have to tell you something.”
His expression grew sober. “Sounds serious.”
“Yeah,” she agreed. “It is.”
He nodded. “Like a Band-Aid, then. Rip it off.”
“I—” Her voice gave out. Steeling herself, she tried again. “There’s something you don’t know about the accident.”
“Okay.”
Now or never. Do it before you chicken out.
“It was me,” she said in a rush. “I’m the reason you can’t remember. I ran you over.”
His jaw dropped. “What?”
“That day, I quit,” she said, bearing it all. “I was done. We were finished. I was leaving the building forever and going far too fast. I don’t know why you were in the parking garage, but I hit you. I didn’t mean to, but it was still my fault. I hurt you, Jackson. It was me.” She dropped her gaze to her hands, twisting them together. “I know I can never make up for it.”
He was silent for a long time. The seconds ticked by, each rubbing her nerves raw as she waited for the ax to fall.
“You quit,” he said.
She glanced up. “That’s what you took from my confession?”
“Why?” he asked.
“It doesn’t matter. The point is, I hit you with my car.”
“Because you were upset. I’d done something so bad you left a job you obviously love.”
She threw up her hands. “Stop it. Don’t rationalize this away. Don’t you understand? I cost a billionaire the brain he needs to run an empire. I damaged the company. When you get your memories back, you are going to hate me. You’ll press charges, and I’ll deserve it.” She pushed herself even farther back on the couch. “I can’t let this happen, knowing you’ll see it as just one more betrayal later. Even if I want to.”
“And do you? Want to?”
She hung her head. “Far more than I should, knowing what’s coming.”
“Charges.”
“Yes.”
He nodded and stood. She watched him grab a pad of paper from his briefcase and come back with a pen. He wrote quietly before handing the paper to her.
I, Jackson Sinclair, being of sound mind, waive all potential charges in the matter of my accident. Lori Carlow is absolved of all fault.
The waiver went on, with his signature scrawled on the bottom, but she let it fall from her fingers before she finished. “You can’t do this. It’s not binding.”
He shrugged. “I think it is. I’m an amnesiac, not mentally unfit.”
“But you can’t forgive me.”
His gaze sharpened. “Why not?”
“Because I’m guilty,” she cried.
“I’m the victim. Pressing charges is my decision. And you are the very last person I would ever want to hurt.”
“You won’t feel that way. Not once you remember.”
“That’s the crux, isn’t it?”
Her eyes jerked to his. “What?”
“The accident isn’t the only reason you kept me at arm’s length. You’re afraid of what will happen when I remember everything.”
“I know what will happen,” she said, her voice soft. “Trust me, you won’t want me once you get your memories back.”
“I don’t believe that.”
Pain cut through her as she realized she had one more explanation to give. He thought he wanted her when she knew full well he didn’t.
I’m going to have to talk the love of my life out of pursuing me.
Maybe this was her punishment.
She rolled her shoulders back, preparing herself for the most painful conversation she’d ever have.
“The you before I ran you over,” she started. “He was a very different person.”
“Yeah, that’s been made clear.”
“No, I don’t mean with the business.” She dropped her gaze, unable to say her piece with the understanding in his eyes. “With me,” she whispered. “When I say you don’t want me, I’m not guessing. It’s a fact. We worked together for years, and I’ve seen you bounce from one woman to the next, each more beautiful than the last. Not once did you ever glance in my direction. I was your support, your helper when you needed me. But never anything more. I’m just an employee to you. And once you remember, that’s all I’ll be again.”
“We can’t predict the future.”
“Put yourself in my shoes,” she said. “How would you feel to get something you’ve always wanted only to have someone rip it from you later?”
He cupped her chin, raising her face to his. “I’m something you always wanted?”
Her eyes squeezed shut. “Dammit. I’ll have no pride left once this conversation is done.”
“Pride is overrated. Trust the man who had to ask which direction every office in his own building was,” he said. “Tell me the truth.”
A pitiful laugh escaped her. “The truth that I watched you for years without you ever looking at me?”
A harsh breath escaped him.
Humiliation thrummed through her. It was too much. She was too revealed. She’d gone from one of the best moments in her life to the worst. Unable to stay, she surged to her feet.
Only to tumble back into his arms when he pulled her backward.
She landed with a huff, staring up into his blue gaze.
“I’m looking now.”
Her heart skipped a beat.
Is it enough? she wondered. Can I handle only having him temporarily?
Because as much as he might deny it, she knew what would happen to them once he remembered.
But he knows about the accident and he doesn’t care.
Didn’t that absolve her of the main reason she was holding herself back?
Which meant the only problem now was her.
He will break my heart.
But she was walking into it with her eyes open. Hadn’t she been in pain when she’d left originally? She’d already experienced what it felt like to walk away from him. If she had to do it twice, wasn’t it better to at least have had something to treasure from the experience? Either way she’d bleed to leave him.
Not like this. This will be different.
But she could have days, maybe weeks with him. She could live out every fantasy, trace every inch of his body with her fingertips. She could be Cinderella for a week or two.
And when it ended, she’d survive.
I get a broken heart either way. What do I care if it hurts a little more?
She reached out, tracing her fingers along his jaw in the lightest of touches.
“Okay,” she whispered. “Let’s take a chance. I’m in.”
Any other man would have smiled. Maybe laughed. They certainly would have jumped at what she was offering.
But Jackson did none of those things.
“You think this is temporary,” he said.
She smiled grimly. “I know it is.”
“I don’t.”
She leaned forward to brush her lips over his. “You will.”
He drew back but she wouldn’t let him. Wrapping a hand around his nape, she pulled him closer, parting her lips under his.
She didn’t want to fight an argument neither of them would win. Not when she could be stripping his clothes off. Heartbreak would come later. Right now, she was more interested in pleasure.
Pushing him back onto the couch, she straddled his body. A wild energy thrummed through her. There was nothing standing in her way anymore. Not accidents, not amnesia, not years of silent adoration.
She was in charge and she had no intention of losing this chance now that’d she’d finally reached for it.
Her fingers flew down his dress shirt as she rocked against him. She parted the material and ran her palms against his bare chest.
I want more.
How did a CEO manage the time to keep his body so defined? She had no idea, but she sure wasn’t complaining.
With a sigh, she broke the kiss to explore the new bounty before her.
“Lori,” he said.
She ignored him, running her lips down his throat.
“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but we should talk.”
“Really?” She reared back and pulled down the zipper of her dress. The strapless bodice pooled around her waist, revealing the black lace bra underneath.
“What was I saying?”
“Nothing important,” she assured him, flicking her tongue over one nipple.
“Hell.”
She ran her fingers down his chest, trailing them along the waistband on his pants.
“You’re making this hard,” he said.
“That’s the general idea.” She snapped open the clasp of his pants and drew down the zipper.
“You’re supposed to be the cautious one. I’m the idiot who doesn’t know which way is up.”
“Good thing we aren’t standing.” She slipped a hand inside his pants, feeling the hard cock pulse under her fingers.
“Goddammit.”
Wrapping his arms around her, he tossed them off the couch, taking the landing on the floor on his own body. She barely had time to process before she found herself flat on her back staring up at him with her hands pinned over her head.
“You will listen to me,” he said.
“Do I have to? I’m off the clock.”
His lips quirked in a smile. “If we are going to do this, then you owe me thirty seconds.”
With a sigh, she relaxed beneath him. “If you talk us out of this, I might never forgive you.”
“Sweetheart, you will be screaming my name before the sun rises.”
“Then why are we talking?”
He slid a leg between hers, making her gasp as he rocked against her. “Because you need to hear this.” He stopped moving. “I’m not going to change my mind. I want you, Lori. I’m in, too.”
The fight went out of her.
“I believe you believe that’s true,” she said.
He hissed out a breath. “When I get my memories back, if I get them back, I will remember what I’m saying now.”
“You’ll remember,” she agreed. “But you won’t care.”
“Lori—”
“Stop,” she said. “We have a break from reality. Something I never thought was possible. Can’t we just enjoy it?”
“With you waiting for the ax to fall?”
“I know you,” she said simply.
He touched his forehead to hers. “The more I learn about my past, the more I want to be someone else.”
Her heart broke a little more.
“He was a good man,” she said.
Even if you’re a better one.
What did that say about her if she could love one side of Jackson more than the other?
“He wasn’t your man.”
“You aren’t, either. You’re just on loan.”
A growl rumbled from him. “Then I guess I need to make you want to keep me.”
His lips claimed hers in a kiss so raw her heart raced in response. She arched under him, trying to get closer as need burned in her blood. She’d spun countless fantasies about him and now she had a chance to make them all come true. Who knew how long this window of opportunity would last?
His mouth left hers long enough for him to shrug out of his half-open shirt and her mouth went dry.
“Seriously? Couldn’t you be a couch potato and give the other men on the planet a chance?”
“What about you?” he asked, dropping a kiss above the swell of her right breast. “All day I’m supposed to be thinking about ways to save my company, not all the things I wanted to do with my secretary.”
She gave his hair a warning tug. “Executive assistant,” she corrected.
He grinned. “Let me make it up to you.”
Rolling off her, he pulled her to her feet. The dress gaped around her waist, ready to slide to the ground. She grabbed it with one hand, feeling more unsure standing than she had under him on the floor.
He ran his hands down her arms. “Drop it,” he said, his voice soft.
Nerves dampened the lust riding her body. While he looked like a Greek god, she knew very well she didn’t. But to enjoy tonight, to do all the things she wanted to do, she couldn’t afford to hesitate.
Just do it.
Lifting her chin, she released her grip on the chiffon. The cerulean dress fell to the floor with a quiet rustle.
And she stood before Jackson in only her black bra-and-panty set.
He took a step back, his gaze running over every inch of her body. Being the focus of his study was both exhilarating and nerve-racking as she waited for his verdict.
“Hell,” he said.
Her blood froze. Was he going to tell her this was all a mistake? She was a far cry from the models of his past. Maybe he didn’t want a woman with breasts that made even the most modest top salacious, or one whose stomach curved instead of flattened. He wouldn’t be the first man to turn her down in favor of more slender women.
But when his gaze returned to hers, there was nothing but lust in his eyes.
…
“How are you so damn perfect?” he demanded.
Her lips parted on a surprised exhale. “What?”
“Reality is way better than fantasy.” He’d dreamed of seeing her this way but now that it was real, she was far more beautiful than he’d ever imagined.
Utterly perfect for me.
“It’s official. The old me was an absolutely idiot.”
Joy lit her face, making her even more beautiful if it was possible. Without any reservation, she launched herself into his arms.
He caught her eagerly, following her lead when she kissed him for all she was worth.
“You’re not the only one with a few fantasies,” she murmured against his lips.
“Let’s see how many we can act out before dawn.”
You have no idea the things I want to do to you. We need more than a night.
The desires he had would fill a lifetime.
Pushing the thought away, he grabbed her hand.
“Come with me,” he said, pulling her toward the hall and the stairs to the second floor. They ran up them two at a time, giggling like teenagers.
When they reached the landing, instead of heading for her guest room he led her to his master suite.
Pushing through the door, he realized she hadn’t been in here since the first day when she’d helped him with his shower. After that incident, he’d never asked for help bathing again. Instead, he’d had her fasten plastic wrap around his brace each time and sorted out the rest himself. He’d been trying to be sensitive to the barriers she kept throwing up between them but there was no more need for that now.
Not bothering with the lights, he led her over to the bed.
“Do you have any idea how sexy you look in those heels?” he asked.
She glanced down at herself. “I swear these were the only suitable heels I owned.”
“Sky-high stilettos and lingerie. Sweetheart, you’re too good to be true.”
“How about I keep the heels on if you take your pants off?” She reached for the waistband of his pants. Having already undone them, they were precariously clinging to his body as it was. A little pressure and they gaped, allowing her to easily strip them from his body along with his boxers.
“Damn, Sinclair,” she said.
“Glad I don’t disappoint.”
“Are you kidding?” she asked as he sat on the edge of the bed and stripped off his socks. “You could never disappoint me.”
He stopped, one sock dangling from his fingers, as his heart thundered in his chest.
“How are you real?” he asked, his voice hoarse, before reaching for her.
She moved into his arms, letting him tumble her back onto the bed.
“Much better than the floor,” she said as she wiggled backward to give him more room.
“Every now and then I get a good idea,” he replied as he rolled over her.
She sighed against his lips as his mouth came back to hers.
“I know something you can take off instead of those heels,” he murmured against her lips.
“Earrings?” she teased.
“Not quite.”
Laughing, she arched her back to reach the clasp of her bra and tugged the material free from her body.
“Better?” she asked, tossing it over his shoulder to the floor.
He didn’t respond, his gaze fixed on her breasts.
“Jackson?”
“Can’t talk. Focused.”
She laughed, spread out beneath him. Her hair was wild over his pillows as she stared up at him with a mixture of lust and amusement in her gaze.
He couldn’t imagine ever wanting anyone more.
Catching her lips in a burning kiss, he wondered if she could feel how desperately he needed her. Giving in to his desire to touch her, he left her lips and gazed down at the body he wanted to run his lips over. He moved lower to catch a nipple in his mouth, flicking his tongue over the sensitive nub.
“Mm,” she purred, threading her fingers through his hair. He loved having her hands on him in any way he could get.
“God, I want you,” he said, switching his attention to her other breast.
“I know the feeling.” She shifted until he could lie between her legs.
Her skin was so smooth beneath his hands. He traced his lips down her stomach, lapping at her navel.
Pushing her legs apart, he slid even lower.
“Jackson,” she said, her hands fluttered around his shoulders. “You don’t have to do that.”
“Have to?” He shot her a grin. “Sweetheart, if we get to act out fantasies tonight, this sure as hell has been one of mine.”
The uncertain expression on her face broke his heart. Lori was the most incredible woman he’d ever met. She should have no doubt about how sexy she was or how men should want to worship her.
That ends now.
He could prove what the men she’d dated before him certainly hadn’t. That he wanted every inch of her. Any way he could have her.
For as long as I can.
Because as much as he tried to deny her protests, neither of them knew how long that would really be.
…
Adrenaline shot through her as Jackson’s head dipped between her thighs. He traced her folds with a light finger, teasing her as he pressed a hot kiss to the inside of her thigh.
“Raise your leg,” he said, his hands pushing her right thigh up.
She did as he asked, feeling decadent as her foot balanced on the spike of her stiletto.
But she went from decadent to speechless when his tongue flicked against her clit before moving lower.
Throwing her head back, she stared up at the white plastered ceiling as his clever mouth teased her. She nearly leaped from the mattress when he slid one finger into her, working in time with his tongue.
I can’t believe this is happening.
She’d never in her wildest dreams thought they’d end up here and yet, it felt so right opening her body for him. There’d been no hesitation in his eyes at any point tonight when he’d looked at her. No disappointment that she was too curvy for his tastes. Instead, he’d stared at her in wonder, as if she was everything he’d ever wanted.
And it felt so good.
She’d follow him anywhere as long as he always looked at her that way.
Now here she was, biting her lip as he pleasured her with an expertise she’d never encountered before.
Her orgasm built within her until she flung out a hand to tangle in the sheets under her.
“Jackson,” she panted. “Enough.”
But he ignored her, his tongue encircling her clit. A rough cry escaped her before she tangled a hand in his hair and pulled him up.
“Come up here,” she demanded.
He grinned as he climbed up her body. “I was pretty happy where I was.”
“You’ll be happier in a minute,” she promised. “Don’t suppose you remember where you used to keep the condoms?”
“No, but I’m a man who likes to be prepared.” He reached for his nightstand and pulled a box out of the drawer. “This was the first thing I bought after the accident.”
“Someone’s sure of themselves.”
“Hopeful,” he replied.
He tore a packet open with his teeth before she claimed it from him.
“Let me,” she said, reaching down to run her fingers over his cock.
He stiffened against her, his head dropping onto her shoulder. She stroked him, feeling the soft skin grow even harder under her touch.
“Hurry,” he breathed in her ear.
She rolled the condom over his long length and shifted herself until the head of his cock pressed against her slit.
“Ready?” he asked, balancing his weight on his elbows.
“Always, for you.”
He thrust into her slowly, giving her time to adjust to his size. Closing her eyes, she let herself sink into the sensations he evoked. When he withdrew, she bit her lip, only to throw her head to the side as he surged back inside her.
They rocked together, moving in time. She locked her legs around his waist, the tips of her heels grazing his lower back.
“Hell,” he breathed. “You have no idea how amazing that feels.”
“Back at you,” she said, gripping the headboard above her.
Every thrust sent her higher, forcing tiny cries from her throat. She was too sensitive, it was too much. Almost like her body was on overdrive.
But even so, she never wanted him to stop.
Releasing the bed, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, breathing in his sandalwood scent.
Again and again, he drove into her until she felt her climax building to the point of no return.
“More,” she begged, arching her body under him.
He was more than happy to follow her request, increasing his speed.
A ragged cry escaped her as her orgasm crashed over her. Stiffening under him, she held him tight as pleasure unlike any she’d ever known swept through ever cell in her body.
Above her, Jackson let out a cry of his own before collapsing by her side.
She didn’t move for a long time, enjoying the aftermath of the ecstasy still riding her body. A smile curved her lips that she was incapable of wiping away.
I just had sex with Jackson Sinclair.
And she’d give everything she had to do it again.
“You’re amazing,” he panted at her side.
Turning her head, she grinned at him. “I think it’s us. We’re amazing.”
“I like that.” He tugged her into his arms, cuddling her to his side. “No going backwards,” he said. “Promise me.”
“No more running,” she agreed, listening to the frantic beat of his heart beneath her cheek. “I’m in.”
I’ll enjoy every day I have with you. No reservations.
When it ended, at least she’d have her memories to keep her warm.