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This moment was just as perfect as all the others had been, but it wasn’t a memory. It was reality. The thought spurred him on, and he deepened the kiss. She responded by pulling him in closer.
He felt his heart exploding in his chest. How could he have gone so many years without this amazing woman? He craved more of her.
But he knew he couldn’t have her. Not really. He lived in New York, and she hated it there. There didn’t seem to be a future for them. The thought raced through him and rocked him to the core. What was he doing, kissing her like this? He was playing with fire, and they’d both end up hurt.
He pulled away from her. “I should probably go.”
She looked up at him with stars in her eyes. His heart broke, knowing he was about to shatter the expression on her face.
“I’m sorry. We shouldn’t have done that.”
“Why not?” She frowned.
“Because we both know this can’t last.”
A light dawned in her eyes. “You’re right. We should probably stick to being just friends.” She sighed. “But that kiss sure was nice.”
“It was. But it can’t happen again. I don’t want to destroy our friendship.”
Her face hardened into a mask of indifference, and her spine went stiff. “I agree.”
“Good. So I’ll see you tomorrow?”
“Yes. Also, there’s a bluegrass festival this week. Do you want to go Thursday night? I know both our grandmas were planning on going together.”
“That sounds fun. Let’s plan on it.”
“Okay,” Sariah said. Her eyes met his, and he had a sudden longing to reach out for her to kiss her again.
“I really do need to go before I do something we’ll both regret later.”
Her cheeks flushed. “See you later.”
He walked back to his car with a heavy heart. He wasn’t sure how he was going to make it through the next few days without kissing her again, but he knew he needed to stay strong.
Or it would end up in heartbreak for them both.