Page 89 of Forever Relentless

“You’re dangerous, Noah Matthews.” I reached for the door handle. “Thank you for the ride back to campus.”

“Anytime.”

I lingered. I knew I lingered.

He knew I lingered.

And I still lingered.

“I should go.”

You were already there, Briar. Now you just look a little pathetic.

“Wait a minute.” Noah got out of the car, and I was too lost in my own thoughts to notice that it was so he could open the door. I got out, stepping away when he closed the door behind me.

“Such a gentleman,” I teased.

“Not a gentleman, just working around the set play.”

He kissed me. Slow. Sure. Confident. Sooo good. I’d said no kissing in the car. He’d waited until we were out of the car. He was always one step ahead of me, I wasn’t sure whether it was keeping me off balance, or that I liked that it was.

My palms lay flat against his chest, feeling his solid muscle. His pecs felt sculpted under my fingertips. His arm encircled me, and his other hand rested on my hip.

Our mouths moved in perfect unison, no awkwardness, no confusion over who took the lead.

It was a great kiss.

Noah lifted his mouth off mine.

“That might have been reckless,” he murmured, looking around the empty street.

I felt as if cold water had been flung over me.

I stepped back hastily. “You kissed me, asshat.”

“And I’ll kiss you again.” It sounded like a promise. “But this is where that photo of Dust and Hadley was taken.” His gaze swept the street calmly. “I wasn’t thinking.” Dark eyes landed on me. “I don’t usually make careless mistakes.”

My hand automatically tugged my hair forward, covering my face. “It’s fine, we’re both to blame,” I conceded. “Still, I should go.”

“Yeah.”

We looked at each other, and I wanted to say more. But saying more would be dangerous because the words ‘do you want to come in’ were so close to spilling from my lips.

“Go,” he told me gruffly. “Before we fall into the same trap as Dust and Hadley — get too caught up in each other, forget we’re in the street.”

Or he could just blurt out and let me die of embarrassment that I wanted exactly what he did.

I didn’t say goodbye. I just ducked my head and hurried away from him.

From temptation.

Because my God, that man was tempting.

I’d told him not to kiss me in the car. So he kissed me in the street. I told him I wasn’t going to sleep with him, and he told me he didn’t plan on sleeping.

I told myself I would not be tempted by the middle linebacker of the Lions, and I was three seconds away from telling him to come upstairs and show me what he’s got.

I entered the building, hearing the faint sound of an engine starting. By the time I reached my apartment, I knew he would already be gone.