Page 14 of Every Silent Lie

“I hate it.”

“It’s beautiful.” His bottom lip disappears between his teeth. “And your eyes,” he whispers, edging closer to the point I’m sure he’s moving in for a kiss. “They speak to me more than you probably want them to.”

A soft hitch of breath escapes as I stare at him, my mind telling me to retreat, but my heart begging me to explore this. “And what do they say?” What am I doing?

His palm opens and slides onto my cheek. “They’re telling me you’re wildly attracted to me,” he breathes.

“That’s some intuition you have, Dec.”

“It’s not intuition.” He releases my cheek and leans back. “It’s fact. And the feeling is shared.”

“So this is just physical?”

“Oh, I don’t think so, Camryn. You’ve revealed too much, so not only do I have your beauty to contend with, I also have my intrigue.”

“I’ve revealed too much?”

“You want to get to know me.” His head tilts, waiting for me to correct him. He knows I won’t. “You’re surprised by that. Am I close?”

It’s not just physical.

He’s intrigued.

Fuck.

“Maybe,” I murmur. And he nods.

I should have gotten up and left the bar. I didn’t. At least, not on my own.

The walk home is quiet and comfortable. Our shoulders brush a few times, and neither of us apologise for it. In fact, we seem to get closer and closer with every step. When we reach my apartment building, I slow to a stop and breathe in deep, facing him. He has some fluff from his scarf caught in his rough stubble. “What?” he asks, seeing me staring at the delicate piece of fuzz on the corner of his lip.

“You have something here.” I point to my mouth.

“Then get it.”

I shoot my eyes to his shimmering gaze, seeing his order there too, and slowly reach for the fluff, pulling it free. “There.”

“You have something too.”

I brush at my mouth.

“Not there.”

“Where?”

“Just”—he leans forward, his face a fraction from mine, and my senses are immediately overwhelmed by his closeness, my nose invaded by his rich, clean cologne—“here.” He breathes across my cheek, only a second before he presses his lips into my skin. I close my eyes, paralysed by the warmth that sails through my cold body from a simple kiss—just a press of his lips on my cheek.

Then he pulls away, and I mourn the loss.

Dec steps back, sucking his lip between his teeth, as if tasting me. “Goodnight, Camryn.”

“Goodnight, Dec.”

He turns away, strolling off down the road, and this time he doesn’t stop at the corner.

But somehow I know it’s okay.

Because I’ll see him again.