Page 79 of Time To Learn

Careful not to hurt her, I unclench my fingers from her hair and lean back to catch her eyes. The honesty mingled with stubbornness flaring back at me makes my stomach clench.

I have to take a couple of deep breaths before I speak, and once the adrenaline has settled down, I nod once ather.

“I’m going to finish your tat, sweetheart, but this conversation isn’tover.”

She takes a deep breath and glances down at my mouth. The urge to kiss her—to ravish her—is like a punch to my stomach. I hardly recognise myself anymore. I haven’t kissed a woman in years, but since meeting Laura, it’s all I can think about.

My whole world has changed.

Whether it will be for the better remains to beseen.

But for the first time in a very long time, I feel ready to face the unknown head first.

“Kristian, I don’t think –”

I put my thumb over her lips, silencing her protests.

“Maybe stop thinking for a little while,” I murmur as the softness of her skin zings mine. It shouldn’t be possible, not with my hand covered up in these gloves, and yet I feel it all the way from my scalp to the tips of mytoes.

And in mycock.

With that, I close my eyes for a beat and turn my focus back on thejob.