I didn’t know who moved first. Maybe it was me, maybe it was him.
All I knew was that one moment we were staring at each other, and the next, his mouth was on mine.
The kiss was tentative at first, a question neither of us knew how to ask.
His lips were cool, but the pressure of them sent heat spiraling through me.
I leaned in, my fingers curling into his shirt, holding him like he might disappear if I let go.
He kissed me back, the hesitation giving way to something more urgent, more desperate.
His hand came up to cup the side of my face, his fingers threading through my hair.
The cold of his skin burned like ice against the heat of my own.
I didn’t want to think. I just wanted to feel. I boldly rested my hand on his thigh, wondering how he’d react.
Gael didn’t stop me, not until my fingers lingered on the button of his jeans. He gently placed his fingers over mine.
We pulled back slowly. His eyes were full of possessive want.
I felt like I was standing on the edge of a cliff, the ground crumbling beneath me.
“I…” I started, my voice hoarse.
Gael shook his head, his eyes shadowed. “No. We can’t.”
We stared at each other, the air thick with everything we couldn’t say. The tension simmered, unresolved, like a fuse waiting to ignite.
A distant sound, a snap of a branch and a rustle of leaves, broke the spell.
Our heads whipped toward the door, the threat of the outside world crashing back in. But nothing happened.
Gael’s jaw tightened, and he took a step back.
The moment between us shattered, but the spark lingered, burning low in the pit of my stomach.
I tried to hide my disappointment. “You’re right. We can’t.”
“Not until you’re better,” Gael corrected, making my heart race.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
ASHER
Gael had been gone for maybe half an hour, but it felt like longer. I stood at the cabin window, watching the line of trees for any sign of his return.
The old structure was hidden enough, but the gnawing thought of being found still twisted in my gut.
Gael was out there, scouting the area, making sure we were safe.
And I was here, feeling the restless itch of recovery and the sting of my own helplessness.
My leg was healing. Faster than I’d expected, faster than it should have.
Whether it was luck, stubbornness, or Gael’s careful tending, I didn’t know. The pain was now a dull throb instead of a blazing fire.
Although I occasionally felt sharp bursts of pain, I could walk without collapsing, and that small victory fueled a dangerous need to prove I was still capable.
