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“Would it overwhelm you further if I answered ‘yes?’”
“To what?”
“I would like to kiss you.”
His eyes snapped open, and he stared at her for a few moments as if to gauge her sincerity. “Are you sure? I don’t want to do anything to make you uncomfortable or frightened.”
“And everything that comes with it,” she repeated softly. “You make me feel safe and happy. But I understand if you are reluctant—”
“Come here,” he growled as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close until their lips met with a fevered intensity she was not prepared for. A spark shot straight through her stomach to her heart. A torch billowed bright within her chest and where their bodies connected from their lips to their fingers.
She ran her hands up his chest, over his shoulders, and buried her fingers in his hair. They had kissed once before, two people tentatively discovering the other. But it hadn’t been like this. Filled with passion and longing and love.
He pulled her even closer until both her legs draped over one of his knees. The heady scent of magic and mystery made her breathless and dizzy.
This felt right. For all the mistakes she’d made in her life, she knew with certainty she’d finally got something right. Joel.
He kissed the corner of her mouth, then the other, before kissing her softly one last time on the lips. Both of them breathed heavily when they finally pulled away.
But not far.
A delighted laugh left her mouth as he pulled her close against him, her head resting against his chest and his chin on top of her head.
Together, they gazed at the sparkling moonlit lake.
The heat radiating from the hearth crystal had little to do with the fire burning through her veins.
A minute of comfortable, reflective silence passed as she enjoyed the strength of Joel’s arms wrapped around her. She loved each breath he took and each beat of his heart against her ear. Yes, he was her best friend. He was also something much, much more.
“You’re quiet,” she murmured. “What’s on your mind?”
A deep breath. His fingers absently stroked the length of her arm, from her wrist to her shoulder. “I’m overjoyed and terrified. I don’t want this to end.”
“It won’t.”
“Even when we leave the forest?”
“Even then.”
“What if you don’t want me around anymore?”
“Joel.” She took his face between her hands and tipped his head down to look at her. “I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life. Not giving us a chance is one of my biggest regrets.”
He took her hand and kissed her fingers before pressing a lingering kiss to her wrist. His voice in her ear sent a pleasant shiver down her spine. “I want to kiss you until the dawn blush rises in the sky. To hold you until the chill makes my fingers too stiff for feeling. To spend every waking moment reminding you what a special, beautiful woman you are.”
His lovely words stuffed her heart with warm cotton as soft as clouds, cushioning it against the past horrors she’d faced.
“I’ve missed your poetic views on life.” She timidly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “And I want those things, too. I’m not sure how long Bastien can handle Maisy for.” Eva was quiet, but she was a relatively easy child in comparison.
“At least a few more minutes.”
Although she didn’t voice her own fears, they reflected his perfectly. She wanted this to last. But what if history repeated itself?
“Your turn.” He ran his hand up and down her arm. “What’s on your mind?”
For a moment, she debated telling him the truth. Her past was painful and lonely. Could she open her heart enough to trust him with those fears?
She decided to try. “All my life, I’ve always wanted to be loved. My father and brother left us. My stepfather never cared. Calle got engaged to someone else. Liam loved me like an object to flaunt in his brother’s face. No one has loved me.”
