Her hands slid into his hair, drawing him closer, and the kiss deepened. Not desperate. Not rushed. Just two people who finally stopped pretending.
His fingers clutched her waist, pulling her against him, and her body responded instantly. They fit together like two pieces designed for each other from the start.
He broke the kiss just long enough to rest his forehead against hers.
“This might complicate things,” he murmured.
She smiled. “Probably.”
“And I still can't stop.”
“Good. Because I don't want to stop either.”
Her hands slid from his hair to his shoulders, then down his arms, savoring the solid strength beneath the fabric of his shirt. Everything about him felt real. Present. When his mouth found hers again, she kissed him without hesitation.
She'd been alone for a long time and hadn't realized how much she'd missed simply being close to someone.
Brian brushed a kiss against her forehead before looking into her eyes once more, silently asking the same question he'd already given her the chance to answer.
She smiled and reached for him. “I want you.”
That seemed to be all he needed.
He gathered her into his arms, and together they sank onto the bed. The room faded around them, leaving only whispered words, tender kisses, and the certainty that neither of them wanted to turn back.
Much later, Brian lay beside her, his forehead resting against hers as they both caught their breath.
For several moments, neither of them spoke.
The room was filled only with the distant hush of the ocean and the quiet sound of their breathing.
His fingers brushed a strand of hair away from her face. “You okay?” he asked softly.
She nodded, unable to keep the smile from her lips. “Yeah.”
More than okay.
She couldn't remember the last time she'd felt so completely cherished. It wasn't simply that they'd made love. It was the patience he'd shown, the care he'd taken, the way he'd never once made her feel rushed.
He kissed her once more before drawing her against his side, wrapping an arm around her as naturally as if she'd always belonged there.
She rested her cheek against his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart.
“That was...” he began before letting out a quiet laugh. “Amazing.”
Her smile grew. “Yeah. It really was.”
But even as she said the words, her thoughts began to wander.
How will this change things?
Will either of us regret it in the morning?
Was it just a fleeting moment in time that we’d shared, or is this the beginning of something neither of us had planned for or expected?
She didn’t have the answers as Brian climbed out of bed without a word. Worry crept in as he disappeared into the bathroom.
Is he going to leave?