Resting her forehead against his, she held his face in her hands as she gazed into his eyes. “I’ve missed you.”

He didn’t respond.

“You don’t have anything to say?” she said. “That’s a big admission.”

“I don’t know whether to trust it,” he admitted.

She ran her thumb over his bottom lip. “Neither do I. I keep telling myself that we just met, that I’m on the rebound. But when I’m with you—I can’t describe how good it feels. And when I’m not with you, I want to be.”

Still maintaining eye contact, he outlined the rim of her ear with his fingertip. “I have no defense against you,” he said simply, and the way he kissed her next, with so much tenderness, made her feel as though she was spinning through space, free-falling—and loving every minute of it.

18

When the alarm went off, Tobias could feel the softness of Harper’s breasts against his bare back, the weight of her arm looped around his waist and her legs tucked up under his. He hated that he had to move, because then she would, too, and once again their time together would be over. The few hours he’d had with her had gone far too fast.

“How can hours pass like minutes?” he grumbled, setting his phone on the nightstand after stopping the annoying jingle.

She leaned up and kissed his shoulder as he slumped back onto the pillow. “I wish I could stay longer.”

He turned over so he could roll her beneath him for a final kiss.

“It’s harder to leave you every time I come here,” Harper said, tucking his hair behind one ear when he lifted his head.

“So when are you coming back?” he asked. “And this time, don’t tell me you’re not.”

“Feeling pretty confident, are you?”

He could hear the smile in her voice and knew she was joking. “Just hoping we’re making some progress.”

She laughed. “Fine. I’m coming back. I think I’ve figured out that as long as I’m in Silver Springs, you’re part of the experience.”

“Now we’re getting somewhere,” he said with a grin. “But…”

Sobering, he rested the bulk of his weight on his elbows so he wouldn’t crush her. “Seeing me doesn’t mean you have to sneak out, Harper. I have more to offer than sex, you know. We could actually go someplace once in a while. You wouldn’t even have to worry about Axel finding out, since he already knows about me. Let me take you to dinner or hiking or ice-skating. Even the girls want to go ice-skating.”

She rolled her eyes. “Ugh. You’re never satisfied.”

She was still teasing him, but he was entirely serious. “What would it hurt?”