I let out a deep breath, my body eased against the seat, and say, “Okay.”

He stands with his hands still on me and says, “I’m sorry. Relationships are new for me. I’m not making excuses. I’ve really just never had to consider someone else’s feelings. I want to change. For you.”

“I don’t want you to change for me.” I’m freezing, but I try to keep my teeth from chattering. “I want us to learn how to handle these situations together.” I fail, and my chin trembles.

He notices the goose bumps popped on my arms and cups my jaw. “Let’s get you back home.” He says, “Pull over there and roll up the window. Crank on the heat. I’ll take the wheel off and get the bike in the back.”

I do as he says ready to be warm again. A few cars stop to offer him help, but he’s become a master at deconstructing my bike and fitting it in the car. When he comes around to the driver’s side, he opens the door for me to get out.

I say, “I’m good to drive home.”

I don’t think he hears me because he’s staring at my legs. Looking down at my lap, I realize the shirt isn’t as long as I thought, just covering my butt and barely reaching the top of my thighs. His eyes lock on mine, and then I see him take a long, slow breath. On the exhale, he says, “We need to go.”

He runs around the vehicle and gets in on the other side. “Hit the gas.”

I don’t.

The last thing I’m going to do is wreck this very expensive car. Harbor accuses me of purposely torturing him. “Going the speed limit isn’t a slight against you, babe.”

As soon as I park at the curb, he grabs the bike and wheel hanging out of the trunk and runs it to the side of the house before I’ve even locked the car and set the alarm. Standing at the front door, he says, “Shake a leg, baby.”

I do.

I shake my ass, too, realizing that I might just get my wish, after all.

19

Harbor

Lark jumps into my arms, wrapping them around my neck and kissing me like she wants to medal in the Olympics for it.

I kiss her right back, holding her bare ass in my hands, and carry her inside not only to get her out of the cold but to fucking apologize.

When I kick her bedroom door closed, our lips remain attached until the very last second when I lay her down . . . a few inches above the mattress. Laughter erupts from her as she lands with a bounce.

She has a way of getting me to confess my darkest secrets, the desire to have someone else sharing the burden in carrying them runs deeper than I could have imagined. I’ve never had the inclination to share at this level with anyone else. She bared her body, but I know she was also baring her soul to me. Me doing the same wasn’t as hard as I would have thought.