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Falcon grinned as Bella leapt to her feet, screaming as Ralph began unhooking her.

“Was it fun?” he asked her.

“That was magical! I jumped out of a plane!” She was jumping up and down as Ralph did his best to unhook her while she was moving. “Did you see the skyline? And the ocean? I saw Nantucket! I freaking saw Nantucket from the air! And the Boston skyline! What the heck, Falcon!”

Falcon got detached from his instructor, thanking him as Bella jumped up and down, still shouting. Her face was glowing. She looked radiant, vibrant, and stunned.

He knew how that felt. He’d never forget his first jump. Absolutely fucking surreal.

Ralph finally got her unstrapped, and she threw her arms around him. “Thank you, Ralph! Oh my God! Thank you for not getting me killed! That was amazing.” She hugged him again, and then took off across the grass, sprinting toward Falcon.

He barely had time to brace himself before she flung herself at him. He caught her hips as she wrapped her legs around his waist and hugged him. “Thank you so much, Falcon!”

He grinned as she hugged him. She was so energized, bouncing around, that he had to focus to keep from dropping her. “Feels good, huh?”

She pressed her palms to either side of his face. “Thank you,” she whispered. “Thank you for giving me what I didn’t know I needed. I appreciate you.”

He tightened his grip on her hips as a deep realization struck him.

Bella Hart was his whole world.

She was his everything, and that would never, ever change.

Which meant…yeah.

It did mean that.

FOURTEEN

Bella grinnedas Falcon’s hands tightened on her hips, holding her up. “Seriously, I was so mad at you, but that was the best thing ever.”

He broke out into a grin, a happy, dimpled grin that was so cute she almost started giggling. “Glad I could be helpful.”

“Helpful?” She rolled her eyes. “That was amazing.”

His smile widened. “Want to go again?”

She grimaced. “God, no. Never again.” Her giddiness faded as he stared at her, emotion etched on his handsome face. She realized how good his hands felt on her hips, how close their faces were to each other. All she’d have to do was lean in and?—

No. She couldn’t kiss him. That would change everything between them. She needed him being her friend, not a man her heart wanted.

But she didn’t let go.

And neither did he.

Words faded until it was just them. “I—” She stopped.

“You what?” he asked, his voice rough.

She wasn’t okay enough to start anything with him, or anyone. But especially him. She wouldn’t mess with him or theirrelationship. There could be no one-night stand with Falcon. If she crossed that line with him, knowing how he felt about her, knowing how susceptible she was to him, it would be a mistake on so many levels. And cruel, to him, and also to herself. “I can’t,” she whispered.

“Can’t what?”

“Kiss you. Start anything. I’m not there.”

He shifted his grip on her hips, not letting her down. “Empty sex maybe? No emotions. No traps. Just raw, sweaty sex?”

She started laughing. “I’m not built for empty sex. Especially not with you.”