Page 32 of Wild Heart

Finally, my voice broke the silence. “I hope you know what this night meant to me, Ava.”

She threaded her fingers through my hair. “I know. It means everything to me, too.”

“I never thought we’d have this, wild one.”

I felt the air rush out of her, a deep sigh of relief, perhaps. “I didn’t either, but I’m so grateful for it. And I love to hear you call me that.”

I knew she liked it, because I saw the way she responded every time I said it. “There’s nobody else like you. There never will be.”

She exhaled another breath and cuddled closer. We didn’t say anymore words. We returned to the kissing and touching.

After some time, things escalated to another slow round. It was no less spectacular than the first. Perhaps, even better.

And when we finished the second time, after I’d cleaned the both of us up, I tucked Ava’s body tight to mine, and we fell asleep wrapped up in one another, the way I quickly learned it should have always been.

Ava

I pressed my lips softly against Tate’s.

My eyes closed, and an ache settled firmly in the center of my chest. Why had I done this to myself?

I should have slipped out of the room without giving in to that voice in the back of my head, but I’d never been the kind of girl who held back from doing what I felt compelled to do. That mindset was the only reason I was even here with him.

But the longer my lips lingered on his, the harder it became to pull away.

I only succeeded in doing that when Tate stirred and groaned at the pressure against his mouth.

“Morning, wild one.” His voice was deeper than usual, and that nickname had the power to bring me to my knees.

“Good morning.”

Tate glanced down at my body and noted my clothes. The sleepiness vanished, and he bolted up in the bed. “What’s going on?”

I swallowed hard, doing my best to ignore the concern he had. That wouldn’t make this any easier for me. “I didn’t want to wake you, but I couldn’t leave without kissing you goodbye.”

His features softened as his hand came up to cup the side of my face. “I would have been upset if you left without waking me.”

And I thought it was the only way I’d survive this. Instead of telling him that, I said, “I have to go. My plane leaves in two and a half hours.”

With a quick nod, Tate replied, “Okay. Just give me five minutes, and I’ll take you to the airport.”

I felt like I’d waited a lifetime for Tate to treat me like that, to want to take me to the airport and see me off the way a boyfriend would for his girlfriend. But that’s not what we were, and that’s not what I was going to fool myself into believing we had.

We had last night. I’d cherish it for the rest of my life. But knowing he’d never give me everything I wanted with him, I wouldn’t pretend to be okay with a gesture like this now.

I shook my head. “No. No, you stay in bed. I already have a car waiting for me downstairs.”

Concern and a hint of disappointment marred his features. His thumb stroked over the apple of my cheek. “I’d much rather be the one to take you.”

I forced a smile on my face, my heart bleeding. “I know,” I lied. “But it’s okay.”

Tate didn’t seem to notice how much this was affecting me. He slid his hand back into my hair, urged me in his direction, and kissed me again. Feeling his lips on mine and the slight edge of desperation in his kiss, it became clearer.

I should have walked out without waking him.

Because this was just one more thing I was going to have to try to get over, to forget.

It seemed an impossible task at this point.