Page 40 of Hearts on the Line

All the words I’ve swallowed, the lies I’ve almost convinced myself to believe, suddenly swell in my chest. My feet move before my brain catches up, carrying me down the dock after her.

“For fuck’s sake, that’s it? Like I haven’t missed you every damn minute for the past twelve years. Like I’ve had to learn how to live with this giant hole in my chest.” I suck in a breath, the pain pouring out.

“Ethan?”

All I know is that everything is spinning out of control, and the careful walls I have built up around myself these past several years crumble.

“Fuck it.” I pull her close, and my lips crash down against hers.

Chapter 13

Sloane

Isigh into his mouth, trying to match his urgency.

Ethan’s kissing me like he’s dreamed about this for years, desperate for it not to stop.

I curl my hands back around his neck, scrape my nails against his scalp, and press my hips against the knee he’s placed between my legs.

“Why?” I try to whisper against his mouth.

Instead of an answer, he kisses my jaw, then tilts my head back so he can kiss a line down my throat, and I’m pretty sure I’m either dying right now or having the best sex dream of my life.

His hands reach around my ass, and then he’s lifting me against the dock railing. I wrap my legs around his waist, refusing to let go even though I think this is a horrible idea.

It doesn’t matter that all this time has passed between us. We might as well be back in my dad’s car, making out in the back seat, because his lips claim my mouth like I’ve only ever been his.

My heart thumps against my chest, and it’s almost painful, but the rest of me is on fire. I can barely breathe, then moan into his mouth as his teeth nip at my bottom lip.

“Open up for me, Sunny. Please.”

Honestly, I’m about two seconds away from falling back against the dock railing and letting him have his way with me after that please.

There’s something powerful about hearing him beg for one more touch.

The warm breeze sweeps over my skin, and I taste the salt on his lips when his tongue pushes into my mouth.

I buck my hips, feeling him against me, and I think this could be a good way to spend my summer, to move on from Jason, to finally get all the what-ifs around Ethan out of my head after all these years. What would have happened if I had never left? And that very thought is like a bucket of cold water that crashes over me. My body suddenly tightens, and whatever just exploded between us dies just as quickly.

Ethan backs away, his hands clenched at his sides.

I focus out into the harbor as I struggle to catch my breath. Anywhere but those stormy hazel eyes of his. “Sorry.” I don’t know what I’m apologizing for, and I try to catch up with the words racing through my mind, but instead, Ethan places his hand on my waist.

“Don’t apologize.”

I think that breaks my heart a little.

He sweeps his hand up my body until his thumb bumps underneath my chin, redirecting my gaze to his.

“I’m sorry if I misread that.” He licks his lips. “If it was a mistake, I’m… I’m sorry, Sloane.”

I can tell he wants to say more. Instead, I nod and let that messy part linger between us.

I didn’t ask for that kiss, but I sure as hell deserved a conversation about it.

Instead, three days have passed. Ethan floats in and out, leaves me food and iced coffee in the fridge like some peace offering, and I’m stuck sleeping on the couch with Wally.

Spiraling.