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When Clay steps into my personal space, I can’t breathe. He fills every molecule of air around me. He smothers me with his overwhelming charisma.
There’s an edge of danger to him. A bombastic confidence. An air of recklessness.
And a safety too.
Because as much as he can wreck me, I know that he’llchooseto protect me. And there’s something so exciting, so enticing, about that restraint.
With Taz it feels… easy. Like two slots fitting into place, not because they want to, but because the mechanisms of life forced them to swing this way. There is no other direction for them to fall than into each other.
There’s romance in that. Comfort.
But after tasting a different kind of fruit, it’s difficult to go back to what was once familiar.
Isn’t it the same for Taz? What would make him abandon his life of freedom to seek me out again? And can I trust that he’s here for good this time?
He brings my knuckles to his lips and kisses the back of it. “Rosie told me.”
“Told you what?” I frown uneasily.
“About you and Clay Bolton.”
My throat tightens.
“At first, I didn’t take her seriously. I guess it was arrogant of me to think that no one would make your heart waver.” He sighs against my skin. “But then I checked your social media.”
“I don’t take pictures with Clay,” I say defensively.
“No, but he was there. In your eyes. In the background. In the reflection of a mirror. Tall white guy with dog tags. Always there. And always looking at you. Just… hovering.”
My lips are dry and I lick them quickly. “So you didn’t come back because you missed me. You came back because you felt like I was moving on?”
“No. No, of course not.” He shakes his head. “I missed you. I missed you since the day I left. If you knew how much…” he lets out a breathless laugh, “but all of Rosie’s warnings came flooding at me at once. I realized that if I didn’t act now, I could lose you. And I can lose anything, Island—anything in this world—but not you.”
My eyes dart away. He’s saying all the words I wanted to hear. For months, I dreamed of a moment just like this. And some part of me, the part that belongs to him, that was formed when we became an ‘us’, comes alive again.
“I realized that if I was serious about us, about our life together, then I better get myself down here. After that, there was no second-guessing.”
My eyebrows hike at the conviction in his words. Taz is as serious now as he was the day he talked to me about seeing other people.
“I’ve tasted what this world has to offer and it felt empty without you. Everything I’ve done, everyone I’ve met, they don’t compare to you, Island. You are the person I want in my life and I won’t ever forget that.”
His hand rises and he rubs a circle into my arm. This kind of physical affection is normal for us, but it feels foreign and wrong.
I take his hand and give it a squeeze before placing it back against his thigh. Taz is here and I’ve loved him for most of my life. He’s special to me, but it’s been so long that it doesn’tfeelthat way. The man in front of me feels like a stranger.
“Taz, I have something to tell you.”
His face goes slack with hurt or betrayal or both. “I know what you’re going to say.”
“Either way, I still have to say it.” I wrench my hands together. “That man in the pictures. Clay? I have feelings for him.”
Taz flinches, but it’s just for a second. He tucks the discomfort away and replaces it with a nervous smile. “There were lots of women who thought they could replace you too. They never did.”
“This isn’t about replacing anyone. I’m… I’m interested in him.”
Taz’s smile gets harder to maintain. His eyes narrow, but his voice is still calm when he says, “I trust in our love, Island. I’m ready to be serious now. I’m ready to give you what you’ve always wanted from me.” His thumb caresses my ring finger.
“I just need time.”