Focus on her. Everything is about her.
“You are officially scaring me,” she says quietly. “Is there something?—”
“No,” I say fast, opening my eyes. “No. It’s nothing you need to worry about.” I kiss the palm of her hand before leaning forward to kiss her forehead. “But I can’t stay.”
I have to follow them.
“Why does it feel like you know it wasn’t just a random animal?”
A sigh leaves me as I press my hand to her cheek. My throat bobs, staring at the anxiety in her wide eyes. I want to assure her she’s safe and that whatever it was won’t have the chance to look at her again.
“Because it wasn’t,” I say softly.
She stiffens and blinks, and I wish I could tell her the entire truth. It’s already sitting on the tip of my tongue.
“Then why are you going to find it?” she asks.
I lean forward, lips landing on her forehead. “I need you to trust me. I’ll tell you, just not tonight,” I say, my thumb swiping along her cheek.
She blows out a visible breath as if she’s debating her choice. “Okay,” she finally concedes.
Head inclining to hers, I kiss her one more time. I hope she feels everything in this kiss that I can’t say. Everything I’ve felt with her today, yesterday, and every promise I still mean to keep.
And when we part, she holds my wrist a little tighter.
“Phone me when you get home. I won’t be able to sleep,” she says.
Dammit, that’s cute.
A small smile spreads along my lips. “I love that,” I whisper before kissing her again.
She chuckles against my mouth. “You enjoy me being in distress?” she asks.
“Anguish makes your smell sweeter, angel,” I say, pressing my lips to her throat. “And I can’t wait to thoroughly devour you this time. That taste earlier was exquisite.”
She rakes her nails through my hair. “Then come inside. Get your fill. Don’t go chasing things in the dark.”
“I thought it was waterfalls you weren’t supposed to chase,” I joke, and she laughs, shoving my chest.
“Seriously,” she says through the laughter.
“I’ll be fine,” I promise. I kiss her forehead one more time and take a step back.
I should let her go, walk down these steps and completely leave the island for her safety.
But I don’t think I’m ever giving this up.
“What?” she asks when I pause.
“Nothing, I just… I needed to look at what I’m walking away from,” I tell her.
She sinks into one knee, tilts her head, and draws her bottom lip behind her teeth. It’s quite possibly the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen.
“Still time to come inside.”
I push my hands into my pockets to keep myself from throwing her across the back of the couch I can see behind her. “I’ll come inside tomorrow.”
Her chest rises with a sharp breath. “You’d better.”
