{Wattys Shortlist 2022}
A one night stand is turned inside out when two strangers discover their shared past.
After a skydiving excursion that ends in a whirlwind one night stand, Camilla writes off ever seeing her handsome instructor again. That...
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The next morning, I awoke to a gentle breeze and the sound of early morning street traffic filtering in through the window. South was still sleeping. Soft, warm breaths caressed my cheek. His hand covering the compass tattooed over his heart.
It was the first time I'd ever woken up before him. South was an early riser, and by the time I finally crawled out of bed, he was usually just coming back from a long run or lifting weights.
This still-sleeping version of South was different. Easy rest had relaxed his brow and released the tension along his jawline. His soft lips slightly parted. Black lashes fanned out over barely tanned skin.
Inky hair tousled. Stubble rough. A slight sheen covering his skin.
I barely dared to breathe or move. I didn't want to wake him. Not when he was so soundly asleep.
And not after what he'd done for me last night.
South Tenney was an absolutely beautiful man, inside and out. And he made me feel like I could touch the sky, so long as I was sitting on his shoulders.
The longer I watched him sleep, open and vulnerable, the more I realized just how deeply he'd sank beneath my skin. How far he'd buried inside my heart.
Above all that, this man had stitched me back together.
Literally and figuratively.
In that moment, with a throbbing ache in my hands and my knees and in the deepest part of my heart, I knew I wanted South to do more than stitch me back together. I wanted the life he painted for us last night—the one at his house in Virginia Beach.
We could run away together—not on a boat or up a mountain—but towards a real life. We could leave Newport and all the pain. I could get a job, or go back to school and get my master's degree, or do both. I could be happy down there. With him.
Another breeze from the open window rustled gauzy curtains, and sunlight flitted across his face. South's lashes fluttered, and I held my breath. Not wanting to wake him. Not yet.
It was in that breath-holding moment—when I realized I'd have done anything for this man who'd given up so much of himself—that I knew I was falling in love with him.
No, I wasn't falling in love. I was in love with him. And I didn't care if it was too fast or a whirlwind or whatever anyone wanted to call it.
South Tenney was stitched into my skin, and I didn't want to lie to him.
He didn't care what his dad thought of me, so why should I?
I felt so stupid and reckless after last night. I had no right to be investigating his dad. I had no training and no idea what I was getting involved in.
And then there was that smile that'd spread across Les Tenney's face like a disease. I didn't want to find out what else he could do if I kept pushing. Connor was right about that much—I needed to let this go.
