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snap. I take something for myself for once. My hands dart out and grip Gwen’s waist.
“You know what?” I snarl, yanking her toward me, staring at her plush mouth as her lips softly part—no doubt to say something infuriating. But I don’t let her get a word in ...
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“Fuck yes,” I murmur,
“Fucking look at you,” he says, his breathing labored. “Fucking perfect. And so fucking off-limits.”
“I’m not off-limits.”
“Yeah. Yo...
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“That he was a fool to let you get away. But that it was just as well because I could fuck you better.”
“Listening to him talk about you made me want to come home and take you just to prove to myself that I could. Does that make me jealous, Gwen?”
“I think it does.”
“And what the hell am I supposed to do about that, huh?”
“What am I supposed to do with you, Gwen? We’re just starting to figure this thing out. He’ll never forgive me if I do this. I’m damned if I do, and damned if I don’t.”
“I was going to say that I don’t want to be the thing that damns you. It’s not fair.”
Navy-blue cargo pants hug his thighs in a way that I should not be openly admiring. Above a utilitarian black belt, strapped around his narrow waist, a matching navy T-shirt stretches across his broad chest. A crest printed with BC Fire Service sits over his heart.
“Gwen, listen. I’ve known him for years now, and he might be one of the best people I know. Prickly and ornery and set in his ways, but good. He’s been hurt. He’s been told a few too many times that he isn’t good enough. Between his ex-wife and Tripp’s mom, he’s learned the hard way that people use him as a stepping stone to the life they really want. He expects to be left behind.”
Gwen: Hi. I’ve been trying not to bug you, but I need a sign of life.
Bash: Consider this a sign of life.
Like, of course, she’s been watching the news and looking for me. I smile at my phone like some lovesick loon.
Gwen: Is it as bad as it looks? Bash: Yeah. It’s pretty bad. Early for fire season too. Gwen: How long do you think you’ll be gone? Bash: Hard to say. Why? Does Clyde miss me? Gwen: No. I do.
Bash: I wanted to give you guys space. Gwen: Oh, fuck off. You’re being a petty little bitch. Just admit it.
Bash: He’s not good enough for you. * * * I regret sending it the moment it’s gone. That was petty. Or maybe it wasn’t. At the very least, it’s true. If Gwen only remains a friend, I would stand by that assessment.
Especially my ass and side boob. I’m a big fan of them,” I add, to lighten my gloomy monologue. “Fuck. Me too,” Bash mutters with a little groan.
can be safe and kind. I can be mature and kind. I can be kind to Gwen without fucking her. Of course I can. I’m a grown man. I’m a highly skilled pilot. I kick ass under pressure. I’ll even apologize for my past behavior, really own my shit.
The golden light illuminates her. It makes me wish we could have woken up together. Left the curtains open, so I could lie in bed and watch the morning sun dance across her upturned nose, watch its rays highlight the tops of her full cheeks. She’d be warm and soft, and she’d smell like lavender. I’d pull her closer and stare at her for so long that when I closed my eyes, the shape of her would be burned on the back of my lids.
The soft sage green of her sweatshirt and matching leggings does nothing but amplify the purple tinge in her irises. Lavender. Lilacs. The color of the sun when it rises over heavy wildfire smoke.
But it’s so much more than that. It’s the realization that she’s everything I want.
“It’s not complicated. You look at her like she hung the moon, and she’s the only woman in the world who finds your shitty attitude to be endearing.”
She’s fucking breathtaking. And the fact that she didn’t roll out of my bed is downright criminal.
“Honestly, I kind of want some of everything? It looks amazing.”
“Coming right up. What my girl wants, she gets.”
“I wish Bash were in love with me. Then maybe he’d make me nice breakfasts too.”
Then I come face-to-face with Tripp.
Not this bitch again
Gwen, who looks downright uncomfortable. And Clyde, who looks one second away from beating Tripp to death with the cast-iron skillet still sitting on the stove.
LMAO
“You’re taking my flying?”
“Okay, good. I’m glad you’re not freaked out.” “Freaked out? Are you kidding me? This is amazing! And if I die?” I wink at him. “What a way to go.”
“Ready as I’ll ever be. Let the adventure begin.” His eyes hold mine as he repeats the words back. “Let the adventure begin.”
“Head out of the gutter, Dawson. I’m telling you some of the emergency protocols.”
“Sorry, concentrating is hard right now. Have you heard of competence porn? It’s kind of my thing. And you, Bash, are extremely competent.”
“Head out of the gutter, Rousseau. I’m trying to be strapped in safely here.”
“My head’s been in the gutter since the first time I laid eyes on you.”
“No, Bash. You’re my first, so be gentle with me,” I reply with a smile. A smile that only grows bigger when I hear him grumble “For fuck’s sake” in my ears.
“Gwen, this is my job. It would be like me clapping when you roll out a yoga mat. Even though when I see that ass in leggings, it makes me want to.”
“If you don’t clap the next time I do, I will be deeply disappointed.”
“This is the best birthday gift anyone has ever given me.”
“If anyone is on this channel, can you wish Gwen a happy birthday?” He sneaks a mischievous look at me before adding, “It’s her first time.”
I throw my head back and laugh, just as multiple birthday wishes come through the headset. It’s ridiculous, it’s fun, and it’s a gift I will never forget for as long as I live.
“You are…something else,” I murmur, giving him a soft shake of my head before letting my ...
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Rose Hill isn’t just beautiful—it’s majestic. “Wow,” I sigh. Because no other word seems to do this view justice. “This is beautiful.” “Yeah. It is,” Bash agrees. But when I turn back to face him, he’s not looking out the window. He’s looking at me.
Fucking perfect from head to toe. “What I should have done months ago” is all I say. Then I grip the back of her neck, drag her mouth to mine, and kiss her.
“Yeah. Because I’ll never forgive myself if I let you get away again.”
“Yes, what, Gwen? I’m going to need you to use your words. Because I’m about to snap and fuck you right here in this plane, but I need to know you want it first.”
