Page 71 of Connectio

I pry an eye open. “You did not nearly die.”

He runs his hand through his hair and flips some of it to the side, revealing a small shaved area with stitches. “I have a battle scar.”

I sit up straight and reach out, barely grazing my fingertip over it. “Ouch! That does look sore.”

“It’s very sore. I’m in agony.”

“You are not.”

I go to retract my hand, but he catches it and brings it to his mouth, his soft lips pressing to my knuckles. Warmth shoots across my body and pools at my chest, the air thick and all of a sudden hard to breathe.

“Will you give me a second date?” he asks.

Not wanting to but knowing I should, I tug my hand free of his grip, and say, “We’ll see.”

He grins, turns the car onto my street, and parks by the curb before cutting the engine. As I’m about to pull on the door handle to get out, he dips his head and looks through the windscreen toward the house.

“All the lights are off.”

“Yeah, Carly’s out with Alexis.”

“It’s dark. I’ll walk you to your door.”

He gets out, jogs to my side of the car, and holds his jacket over my head, sheltering me from the rain as we hurry up the steps to my front door.

Laughing, I turn to face him as I step out from underneath the jacket, droplets of water streaking down the sides of his cheeks and nose. Our eyes meet before his fall to my lips.

My breath hitches, and I stare at his too before taking a step back. “I’m not sleeping with you, Will.”

He steps closer, moonlight illuminating the humour in his eyes as he slides his arm behind my back and pulls me to him. “I know. But I am going to kiss you, Elizabeth. So if you don’t want this, stop me now. Because once my lips meet yours, there’s no going back.”

Tilting my chin up, he dips his head, slow enough for me to stop what he’s about to do, but I don’t. Because I want this kiss.

I deserve it.