Page 45

A kiss in the mood I was in wouldn’t solve anything. It would only make the craving worse.

“What do you say?” Carina’s eyes were luminous in the moonlight. “One kiss. That’s it.”

I clenched my teeth so hard my jaw hurt. My self-control was hanging by a thread, and the way she was looking at me didn’t help. At all.

“Noah?” she prompted. “Yes or no?”

No. The word hovered on the tip of my tongue. That was the right answer. The safe answer.

But I couldn’t bring myself to say it.

Instead, I dipped my chin a fraction of an inch. Just enough to signal defeat.

Carina let out a soft exhale. She stepped forward and placed a gentle hand on my chest. It took every remaining bit of restraint not to lean into her touch.

I closed my eyes, the heavy drum of my heartbeat almost painful as she touched her lips to mine.

It was a featherlight kiss, so brief and tentative it hardly classified as a kiss.

And yet, it was enough to ruin me.

Something sharp and electric shot down my spine. She tasted so fucking sweet, like berries and mint, and I was struck with the sudden, bone-deep certainty that I would die if I had to give her up. If this was the first and last time I could taste her.

She started to pull away, but I fisted my hand in her hair and deepened the kiss. Carina made a small sound of surprise that turned into a moan when I slipped my tongue into her mouth.

Heat rushed to my groin.

How long had it been since I kissed a woman? Two years? Three?

I couldn’t think properly, but whatever the answer, I was sure no one had ever unraveled me quite so quickly or thoroughly.

Carina’s fingers curled into my sweatshirt, and my chest cracked a little.

I’d fucking missed this. Not just the kissing, but the comfort and intimacy. It’d been so long since I let myself get close to someone that I’d forgotten how good it felt.

And she wasn’t just anyone. She was her. Sunshine and sass all rolled into one. Being with her was addictive, and if I wasn’t careful, I⁠—

A popular nineties song suddenly blasted from the pub, followed by rousing cheers. It was so jarring, it effectively shattered the moment and cleared the fog in my head.

The world snapped back in sharp, unforgiving detail.

I was kissing Carina. Evie’s nanny. In the alleyway behind the Angry Boar where any of our friends could walk out and catch us in the act.

What the fuck was I thinking?

I jerked away like I’d been burned and abruptly released her.

Carina stumbled back, her mouth swollen and expression dazed.

“You were right.” I tried to calm the riot of emotions in my chest and forced a steady tone. “One kiss. That’s all we needed.”

Surprise and a hint of uncertainty flickered across her face before she smoothed them out. “Exactly.” She offered a shaky smile. “See? Out of our systems forever.”

“I should head out. It’s been a long day.” I was already making my way through the door. “Let’s not discuss this again.”

I didn’t wait for her response.

If I stayed a second longer, I might not leave at all.