Page 121 of Sunrise & Serenity

His eyes narrow. “Toss it.”

“Absolutely not.” I hide the photo behind my back.

“Sage.”

Laughing, I shift backward.

He reaches for me, and I twist away, bumping into a tower of boxes that wobble terrifyingly.

Holden steadies the stack with one hand, his other closing around my wrist, his grip firm and warm.

And suddenly I’m aware of every inch of him.

His gaze drops briefly to my mouth, but he drags his attention back up. Letting go of the now-stable boxes, he wraps his arm around my waist and tugs me flush against him.

My pulse kicks hard. “The door’s open,” I murmur.

“Yeah.”

Neither of us moves.

He studies every inch of my face as we stand in a dusty shaft of sunlight. There’s an intensity in his eyes that makes my heart stall. Not because I don’t like it, but because I like it too much.

The ghost of a smile touches his lips, as if he can see my mind working.

Hand splayed across my back, holding me against him, he uses the thumb of the other to brush gently over my cheekbone.

“Every time I see you these days you’re covered in dirt or dust,” he says, his eyes warm.

My breathing shallows. “It doesn’t sound like you think that’s a bad thing.”

His smile is slow and easy. “Means you’re at home here.”

My pulse is in my throat now. “I-is that a good thing?”

“Yeah, sweetheart. It’s a good thing.” He threads his fingers through my hair and cups the back of my head.

And I forget all about the open door. Or maybe I just stop caring. Because as his lips come down on mine, I don’t protest. And I don’t think twice about winding my arms around his neck and arching into him.

With the photo in one hand, I tangle the fingers of my other in the hair at his nape. It’s not a demanding kiss, like the ones he gives me when we’re naked and he’s moving inside me, but the restrained passion in it leaves my body torn between melting against him and sparking to life.

He catches the sound before I do. The creak of a door, the scuff of boots, someone coming to end this moment too soon. With a frustrated grunt, he loosens his hold, preparing to let me go. I’m the one who clings a second longer.

As I step away, my cheeks are warm. If the person coming up those stairs sees me now, with Holden standing so close, they’ll have no doubt about what just happened.

And maybe a part of me is starting not to care.

Before I can figure myself out, Holden plucks the photo I’m still holding from my hand and pivots away from me.

Taryn appears at the top of the stairs, apparently home from school.

Her gaze shifts between Holden and me, but before she can comment, Holden holds the picture up. “Sage is threatening to show this to everyone.”

Immediately distracted, she closes the gap between us and snatches it from his hand.

Her laughter echoes off the exposed beams. “If she doesn’t, I absolutely will.”

The corners of his mouth tug up. And god, that hits me as hard as the kiss. I swear, every smile of his works its way a little deeper under my skin.