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For a second, he said nothing and then he exhaled and I could feel himore

“I haven’t forgiven myself I don’t think I ever will but…” I paused as the enormity of the words in my head washed over me They pressed into my chest and made it hard to breathe or speak

When I spoke again, it was barely a whisper “I’ain, and that’s a start”

“It’s hard,” he said, his dark eyes hooded, his gaze on my mouth

My hands encircled his neck, and I felt his fist in my hair as I bent forward “I know,” I breathed into hi above his

Our noses touched, and ht at the back of my throat I think I whimpered or maybe I sobbed I don’t know I couldn’t hear I could barely function

Because when hestopped except us

There was nothing but Nathan and this ho

t Louisiana night There was nothing but the need to connect to someone so badly I felt it ache in every part of my body

His mouth arm, his lips fir off for all I knew, because it sure as heck felt like it My world was rocking and I was letting it

Nate’s scent, the feel of his hair between s beneath h me

And oh God, could he kiss

I opened ain so that now I straddled hiuish inside hi ere like that—connected on every level, touching each other, tasting each other—and when he broke away, I whiain

“Don’t stop,” I said throatily, running my hand across his jaw

“Monroe, if I don’t stop,” he said huskily “If we don’t…” So like pain crossed his face, and suddenly I are of a few things