Page 51 of The Sun and the Moon

Sydney

In the sea of people I spot her.

Her hair is a tangle of wild vines. Her body is taut with that coiled, untamed energy.

She’s walking back toward the hotel with the most beautifully determined expression on her face.

I double back, expecting her to be headed to our room.

I rush through the lobby leading out to the courtyard, steps behind her.

She stops before I say her name.

It’s just us here. Her, me.

No one to predict how this goes, just us to live the story.

“Sydney.” She turns around, her hair whipping over her shoulders.

“Cadence.” I breathe her name. I want to breathe her in.

I raise her phone in my hand. Her eyes follow the move, and she laughs.

“You tried to call me, didn’t you?” she asks.

“It wasn’t my first choice of communication.”

“Was there something you wanted to say to me?” She doesn’t move toward me, keeping the distance between us, but I don’t know how much longer I can hold out. She’s right there, close enough that if I just took a few steps, I could reach her.

“You deserved to know about the reading,” I say, because without her permission I can’t go any closer. I won’t cross the boundary unless she gives me the okay.

“What were the cards?”

“The Sun, the Moon, and the Two of Cups,” I list, unsure if she will know the interpretations off the top of her head. She exhales a laugh.

“You’re the Sun,” she says, pointing to me. My long golden hair and bright blue eyes.

“You’re the Moon,” I answer, pointing to her black halo of curls and her practically glowing eyes. “There was a whole story about how we would transform—a light in the dark, clarity, give and take.”

“One can’t exist without the other,” Cadence finishes the idea. “And with the Two of Cups…” She nibbles her lip thoughtfully. “Soulmates.”

“I don’t care about that word,” I say, stepping closer. Just one single step.

“That’s too bad,” she says, her eyes on my feet. I go still. “I do.”

She closes the gap between us, taking me in her arms, her lips hovering above mine. Her eyes capture me, holding me with the same sure grip as her arms.

“I would be the worst kind of fool if I didn’t fight for you.”

I crush my lips against hers to show her that the feeling is mutual. She lets her mouth open to mine, and I invite her tongue to taste me. She clenches my back with her hands, running one down to cup my ass. My body responds to the touch as if it’s pulled toward her like a pendulum swinging.

Out lips unlock, but our bodies remain tangled.

“I know we don’t have anything figured out,” she says.

“Do we have to?” I reply. “Can’t we just decide we’re doing this and figure it out as we go? No road map, just two fools on a journey?” Her answering smile is all the confirmation I need.

Nailed it.

“There is an elephant in the—” She looks around. “Courtyard…that we should figure out.”

“The wedding?”

“The wedding.” She straightens up, but she still doesn’t fully release her hold on me. “To go or not to go?”

“It depends. On a scale of one to betrayal, how much do you want to stick it to your mom?” I ask, playful but no less sincere. She grins—I am awash with relief.

“I think I’d rather have a dinner I don’t have to pay for under a blanket of stars than try to prove a point to a woman who has already decided she’s as flawless as God.” She tugs me back into her, and my stomach turns molten as her curves collapse into mine. “As long as you’ll be my date.”

I let a slow smile creep up my lips.

She doesn’t let me finish before she’s back to kissing me again. We twist together toward the room. She unlocks the door, and I kick off my shoes inside.

“I think I need to rinse off,” I say, catching her eyes with mine. The door slides closed.

She yanks off my button-down. Yes . “I could shower.” Her smile is mischief.

I rush to the bathroom, turning the faucet to hot.

I make a quick escape of my clothes, and then she’s behind me, her hands winding around to cup my breasts, her lips against my neck, tongue titillating my ear.

She presses her breasts against my back, and I lean into her flesh.

My hand becomes a heat-seeking sensor, searching for the warmth between her legs.

“You feel so good,” I growl. She spins me around to kiss me, and we step into the steamy cover of the shower.

I tuck in for a long kiss, sliding with her under the water.

“I’m falling in love with you,” I say against her lips. She pulls back to look at me, pushing the wet strands of my hair off my face. Her eyes do an extensive search.

“I think I might already be there,” she whispers, leaning down to kiss my forehead, down to my eyebrow, over my cheek. She runs her hands over my hips as her eyes trail down. “Every beautiful landscape, every wonder I’ve seen, is nothing compared to you.”

She scoops me against her, and I lose myself, soft curves all folding into one another. Warm lips working over damp skin.

All my senses, all full of her.