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Excerpt

I figured out Kat’s schedule, so I know this is her last round before she heads home. I may have only met her days ago, but I feel like I’ve known her forever. I can already pick up on her little quirks and habits that make her so fucking interesting.

“Hey,” I call softly.

Kat stops her fidgeting and lifts her head. “Everything okay? Do you need something?”

I pause and get a good look at her vivid blue eyes. She’s such a knockout, and she doesn’t even realize it. “Can we just talk for a minute?” I tap the bed next to me for her to sit down.

“Of course.” She approaches me, ignoring my signal, and sits down in the chair next to my bed. “What’s going on?” She leans forward, giving me all of her attention, and my head swims. Kat’s complete focus is potent.

“I’ve had a rough day, and I just wanna hear your voice is all.”

“Why was it rough?” She smiles, leaning in farther.

“My PT sucked,” I admit. “I feel like I’m regressing. Nothing is improving. Not my headaches, not my anger issues, and definitely not my body. I took it out on the guys.”

“I’m sure they understand. You had a traumatic brain injury, Sam. It’s not a small thing.”

I reach my hand out to her, and she takes it, squeezing so I know it’s my turn to talk.

“Every time I wake up, I keep hoping I’ll feel like myself again. Normal. But I’m different now. I can’t manage my emotions at all. I’m angry all the fucking time. No one knows how to deal with it, especially me.” Tears prick my eyes and, goddamnit, I am not going to cry right now. I squeeze her hand.

“You need to be kinder to yourself, Sam. You are strug- gling, and they want to be there for you. Maybe you should talk to them, let them know what’s really going on.”

I know she’s right. I owe them that much.

I nod. She moves to get up, as if the conversation is over, and I panic. I don’t want her to go. We still have so much to talk about. I don’t want to have another endless night left alone with only my spiraling thoughts and throbbing head.

“Listen. . . I get. . . lonely when you’re not here at night,” I admit. “Do you think I could text you or call you when you’re not here?”

Kat looks down at the floor, blushing like crazy. Fuck, she’s cute. “I don’t think that would be a good idea.”

I take a second to make sure I heard her right. “Why’s that?”

She lets out a huge sigh as she crosses her arms in front of her chest. “You just got out of a coma, Sam.” She looks at me like the answer should be obvious. “You should probably just focus on getting better.”

“Can’t I hang out with you while I focus on getting better? I want to get to know you, Kat. You’re fascinating.”

She laughs. “Fascinating?”

“That’s right,” I say with absolute sincerity. “How can you doubt what I’m feeling? I don’t,” I say, pointing to my chest. “It’s real. My heart racing every time you walk in the room? Real. Embarrassing, but real. And how it feels when you touch me? That zip? Real.”

Kat just shakes her head.

“Come touch me and see. Tell me if that’s real.”

After a deep, resigned breath, she moves closer to me, gently placing her hand on my shoulder without emotion or feeling. All business. Almost immediately, the heart monitor picks up speed. I smile up at her, delighted she’s proved my point.

Kat can’t help but laugh, but I’m struck by how monumental this seems. Like whatever this is between us is bigger than we realized. It feels like it’s predestined, somehow. Beyond our control.

She takes her hand away, and my heart rate slows back to normal. I wait a few beats before I try again. “So. . . Kat. Can I call you? Please?”

“Um. . . I actually don’t have a cell phone.” She glances at the monitor, embarrassed.

I sit up a little bit. “Are you serious? How is that possible?”

“I've just. . . never had a need for one. I’m always either here or at my uncle’s house. I have a landline there,” she answers, still avoiding my eyes.

“Your uncle?” I suddenly realize I haven’t been asking nearly enough questions about her. Shit.

“Yeah. . . ” She trails off. Again, she starts messing with the supplies in the room, clearly not comfortable with my line of questioning.

“Okay. Come sit, Kat,” I plead, patting the bed. Thankfully, she does as I ask. I reach for her hand, but she’s still too far away, down by my feet. “I’d really like to call you. Can you please give me your number?” I even blink my eyes rapidly as I look up at her to try and lighten the mood.

She still hesitates.

Am I reading this wrong? I duck my head to meet her beautiful blues. “Please?”

Finally, she gives me that smile, the one that lets me know I’m going to get what I want. I resist the urge to fist pump the air. She pulls a pen from her shirt pocket and writes a phone number on the napkin on my tray. I try not to think too hard about it belonging to her uncle.

When she moves to give me the napkin, I grab her hand, pulling her toward me. I have to see if I can get that throbbing, tingly feeling on my tongue. More importantly, on her tongue.

I put my hand on her neck and pull her to me, kissing her quickly. That amazing zing lights up my mouth. I sigh with relief. God, I hope she feels this, too.

Kat makes a satisfied little sound in the back of her throat and kisses me back, cautiously at first, like she hasn’t done this in a while, but then she’s matching me stroke for stroke. She leans farther into me, giving me her weight. With her hands on my chest, I feel the shock of her touch a second before the machines start beeping like crazy.

She gasps and pulls back, but I haul her against me. “Ignore it,” I command, desperate for more.

She laughs into my mouth as we pick up where we left off. I’m so greedy for her. I mean to go slow, but instead, I lick deep and rhythmically into her mouth, giving her all I’ve got. Using my grip on her neck, I guide her head around, making the most of every angle. I’ve never kissed someone like this, with my whole body. I want her to think about this later. Tonight. Tomorrow. I want her to be as obsessed with this as I am.

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About the Author

Somewhere between her career as a textbook editor and the throes of motherhood, M developed an addiction to romance novels. She has read countless books, but this is her first novel.

M lives in the heart of the US with her husband, two kids and their pet doodle.

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