The first step was the hardest, but the others came easily as I made my way over to him.

“Morgan.” His gaze raked over me hungrily, as if he was searching for some kind of answer.

“Hi, Jackson.” My lips lifted in a smile, and his entire posture relaxed.

“I’ve been trying to talk to you. Please, you have to let me explain.” He moved forward but kept his hands in his pockets.

“You don’t have to explain.” He was close enough that I caught the faint scent of cologne as I craned my neck to look up at him.

“No. Morgan, please.” His hands flew from his pockets to gently cradle my face. “Please, don’t kill this before you give me a chance to talk to you.”

My hands covered his, and my thumbs gently stroked the backs of his hands. “I mean, you don’t owe me an explanation. Not for any of it.”

His brow knit in clear confusion.

“Your parents died in a boating accident,” I said softly. “It makes sense that you would decide to become the one person who could have saved them. And as for the other thing.” I swallowed but didn’t look away. “I would have thrown his name into Google if I were you, too. Then I would have gone through every post on his social media and mine until I figured out exactly what our relationship had been. I can’t fault you for wanting answers that I was in no place to give, though I wish you had given me the time and the chance to tell you myself.”

His eyes squeezed shut, and his forehead fell against mine to rest there lightly. “I don’t deserve you.”

“You say that like I’m a reward, when there’s every chance I’m the very trial that might drive you to drink,” I teased with a hint of complete truth.

“What does this mean?” He pulled back enough to keep eye contact.

“I don’t know. I’m answering as honestly as I can. It scares the living bejeezus out of me that you fly, and I’m not sure I can get past it. But I’m hoping that you might give me a little patience and grace, and maybe just wait a little bit so my head and my heart can sort themselves out.”

“I’ll give you whatever time you need. I’m not going anywhere,” he promised. “I’ll wait forever if it means I get the chance to kiss you again.”

This man’s mouth was going to be the death of me.

I didn’t have any words to respond with, so I rose on my toes and brushed my mouth over his, then truly kissed him. It was soft and chaste, but the meaning of it hit me harder than any passionate encounter could have. “Better?”

He smiled against my mouth. “Infinitely.”