Page 6 of The Moments You Were Mine

She raised a brow. “Maybe I have sex on my mind too.”

Her gaze fell to my lips, and the urge to give her what she wanted, what we both wanted, was far too strong. Far too dangerous.

I stepped to the side and yanked open the passenger door of my truck.

“Tacos will have to do for tonight.”

She rolled her eyes but climbed in. I tossed our shit into the back, and as I walked around to the driver’s side, I adjusted myself in my shorts.

It was a good thing my team would be deployed soon.

If I had another month here, I might just break. I might just be a goddamn SEAL who rang the bell and gave in to the undertow that was Fallon Marquess-Harrington.

Chapter Three

Fallon

ALMOST LOVER

Performed by A Fine Frenzy

FOUR YEARS AGO

HIM: Where are you?

HER: You’re home! Everyone okay?

HIM: We were all fine until I accidentally hit play on that pop song you sent me and nearly killed everyone.

A few minutes passed.

HIM: Seriously, Ducky, where are you? I need to see you.

HER: I’ll tell you if you promise not to drag me away again.

More minutes passed.

HER: Parker?

The heat from the bonfire spreadacross my face as I looked up from my phone. Across the way, Rae and her most recent boyfriend were engaged in a furious debate about politics—something I avoided as much as possible when at the beach.

This was my time away. Escape. Just like San Diego was an escape from the real world that awaited me once I finished college. Sometimes, for brief seconds, I wondered if I’d done the wrong thing in not telling anyone here about the resort I owned or the money I’d inherited from my father.

But I liked being the same as everyone else—struggling students pooling together money to buy the keg and food for thebonfire. If, somehow, a few extra twenties ended up in the pot, no one needed to know where they came from.

If and when my secret got out, I knew everything would change. Rae would be hurt the most because I’d lied by omission, but what else was I supposed to do when she hated the wealthy? She was determined to level the economic playing field once she obtained her law degree and joined a human rights campaign. I was almost certain she wouldn’t remain my friend and roommate if she knew the truth.

Maybe that was me thinking the worst instead of the best of her. Maybe she’d be more pissed about that than my secret. But I couldn’t take the risk. Not right now.

“What’s wrong?” The question from my date had me turning to look at him.

JJ’s golden brows furrowed together over bright-blue eyes. He was a golden-haired Adonis, and every time I thought about him being with me, my heart squeezed a little bit. Most of it was happiness, pleasure that someone with such a dynamic personality had been drawn to me. But part of me wondered if the excitement I’d felt on seeing Parker’s name appear on my phone made it wrong to be on a date with anyone.

Except, Parker wasn’t ever going to be mine, and I couldn’t wait around forever for him to finally tear down the walls between us.

I deserved to have a boyfriend, to go on dates, be kissed, be romanced.

To finally have sex.