Bittersweet (True North, #1)

by Sarina Bowen

“Hey. Not so fast.” Before I had a chance to react, Griff had moved around the car door and into my personal space. Given our height difference, my eyes were at beard level. His full lips said, “I get a chance to say goodbye, right?” I swallowed hard, because I hate goodbyes. If there was such a thing as goodbye-a-phobia, I definitely had a bad case. Griff’s big body came closer, the warmth of it engulfing me. With two of his thick fingers, he tilted my chin up to meet his gaze. “Hey,” he whispered. “You okay?” His brown eyes searched my expression. “Of course,” I bit out. Then his mouth was on mine, his lips full and warm. I wrapped my arms around him without waiting for an invitation. And he kissed me slowly and deeply, while I clung to him like a well-made mayonnaise on a spoon. His tongue made a hungry pass over mine, and I knew I’d be tasting him all the way home to Boston. When he pulled back, I wasn’t ready. “That’s just a little something to remember me by,” he whispered. As if I could forget. “Later,” I said, trying to keep things light. And why did that seem so hard all of a sudden? “Goodbye,” he corrected, backing away. Right. I got into the car and started the engine while Griff watched, an unreadable expression on his face. He folded his brawny arms across his chest as I turned around. He gave me a single wave, and then I headed the other way, down the drive and out of his life.