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Elle smiles as she pulls her knees to her chin and wraps her arms around her legs.

“Are you cold?” I ask.

“A bit.”

I take one of the blankets from a wicker basket we keep near the TV and drape it over her. I tuck in her feet and legs, until she’s as warm as can be.

“Thank you,” she says with a smile. “You didn’t have to do that. I mean, I appreciate it, very much. But I don’t want you to feel like you’ve got to do all of this for me. You already helped me get a job and… Gosh, don’t mind me, I’m rambling again.”

“You rambling like that is cute,” I reply, and it’s as if the air shifts between us. Unspoken words fill the space, and all I can do is look at her. The moon lights her face in a way that makes me want to gently pull her toward me and kiss her.

I can see her swallow as she turns her eyes away from me. I hope I didn’t make her uncomfortable by looking at her like that. We sit in silence for a while. Elle fidgets with the seam of her blanket, and I stare out of the back window.

She bites her lip as if she wants to speak but hasn’t found the words yet. I give her the time she needs to form a sentence. When she does, she sends me a smile that makes me shiver.

“I just want you to know that I’m really grateful you guys offered me a room here. Just a little over a week ago, I was still in France, losing my cool because Paul kicked me out and I had to find a place to live. Stat. And now I’m here. I’ve even got a job, thanks to you. It’s incredible.”

I shrug. “It’s no big deal. I mean, I didn’t even know you were going to live here until a day or two before you arrived, and Maggie didn’t ask me if I was okay with it, but I am.”

“Are you sure?”

I inch closer to her and look her in the eye. “Of course. Having you here has been amazing, actually.”

“Really?” She throws me a look that’s laced with surprise. “You’re not just saying that so things don’t get awkward between us?”

In an act of impulsiveness, I grab her hand and squeeze it. “Elle, I mean every word. My days have been a lot brighter since you arrived. From the moment I laid eyes on you at the airport, I knew I wanted to get to know you better.”

She smiles. “Even after I thought you were there to kidnap me?”

I laugh. “That made it even better.”

I give her another squeeze, which makes me realize I’m still holding her hand, but I don’t think she minds. Not once has she tried to pull it back. If she did, I’d let go of her in a heartbeat, but… well, she doesn’t. Surely that means something, right?

Both our gazes drop to our hands. Even now, neither of us seems able to let go. I know I can’t. Her soft skin feels so good. I run my thumb over her fingers, and I swear I can see her shiver.

It only takes me a split second to decide on my next move. It’s probably the stupidest thing I’ve done in a long time, and the voice in the back of my head tells me that loud and clear, but I go for it anyway.

I gently pull her closer and brush a strand of red hair from her face. She’s so close that I can hear her breathing. The soft sounds she makes spread through my every fiber. I give her a look to see if she wants this to happen as much as I do. It’s nothing more than a small rise of my eyebrows, but she smiles and nods. It’s all I need to continue.

Chapter Eleven

Elle

He’s going to kiss me. I’m sure of it. Either that or I just nodded and agreed to something completely different.

I’ve never had a guy ask for permission to kiss me before. Not like this. Not all sexy and wordless and… Gosh, this is so hot. I’m about to lose it.

“Elle.”

My name comes out of his mouth like a low murmur. I don’t wait for him to do anything. I can’t. I put my hands on his chest and close the distance between us. As soon as our lips touch, fireworks explode inside of me and travel to every nerve ending in my body. We kiss each other with an urgency I’ve never experienced before. My blanket falls away, and his hands find their way to my back. I can’t help but let out a small gasp when his fingers land on my bare skin. The sounds I make seem to spur him on, and before long I’m feeling delirious. I tug on his hair while our mouths explore each other.

His hand slides to the small of my back. I slip mine under his shirt as well, a small moan escaping my throat when I touch his muscled stomach.

Why haven’t we done this before? It feels so good. So right. I never want it to end.

But then he pulls back. I try to get him to kiss me again, but he shakes his head. “I’m sorry, Elle.”

I frown. “Sorry? The only thing you should feel bad about is stopping that kiss. Did I do something wrong? Was it not good?”