Page 19

His hand inches higher up my thigh. “Why? Would you rather I disagree and show you exactly what we missed out on?”

“What? No. We just agreed that it was a bad idea.”

“If that were true, why is it all I can think about?” He tugs me closer, his breath skimming my lips. “Tell me I can kiss you, Briar.”

It’s not a question—it’s an invitation to cross a line we’ve both been dancing around. Something real, unspoken, and long overdue. As much as I deny it, the truth is I want this… more than I should.

How much could one kiss hurt?

Tomorrow, we can go back to pretending there’s nothing between us, but if I don’t take this chance, I’ll always wonder what could’ve been, and I refuse to live with regret .

“Well? What are you waiting for?” I whisper.

Jensen leans in, cupping my chin, his thumb tracing along my lower lip.

His fingers barely graze my skin, but it’s enough to light a fire in my nerves.

It’s only fair that he experiences the effect he has on me.

His gaze stays locked on mine as I wrap my mouth around his thumb, my tongue swirling in slow strokes over the pad.

Jensen’s jaw tightens, restraint fraying at the edges, and I want it to unravel completely.

Slowly, I let his thumb slip from between my lips and lean forward until our mouths meet. I catch his bottom lip between mine, nipping just hard enough to make him groan. His breath is hot against my skin as his hand trails to my hip, gripping it firmly.

His mouth crashes over mine, my body surrendering to him with reckless abandon. I thread my fingers through his hair, dragging him closer as he deepens the kiss—claiming, consuming, devouring.

“Damn, you taste sweeter than I imagined, sugar,” Jensen whispers.

He tugs me into his lap, guiding me to straddle him, his hands gripping my hips.

Whatever restraint he had left snaps as he rocks up into me, his bulge rubbing against my core.

My nipples grow achy, and my body hums with longing, and I’m tempted to beg for more when I remember this was supposed to only be one kiss.

What would happen if Caleb woke up and came downstairs? The thought hits me like a cold splash of water, and I lean back, breaking the trance we’d fallen into.

Jensen’s chest rises and falls as his vivid green eyes meet mine, studying me as if gauging my reaction. His hair falls in tousled waves, thanks to my fingers running through it, and I long to lose myself in him again—unbothered by reason or restraint.

“Is this alright?” he asks .

“Caleb could wake up and find us out here,” I say quietly.

He presses his forehead against mine, his eyes closing as he breathes me in.

The quiet stretches between us, thick with words neither of us wants to speak.

Caleb is our priority, and not only do we all share a living space, but I’m his nanny.

What’s already a complicated situation could easily spiral into a distraction Jensen can’t afford and one I can’t defend, no matter how my body betrays me whenever he gets close.

Caleb’s been through enough, and risking his stability for our own desires would be unforgivable.

When Jensen breaks the silence, his voice is low and gravelly.

“That kiss was fucking incredible, and I’m not sorry it happened.

In another life—one without my son asleep upstairs—I’d have taken you to bed, spread you out beneath me, and made you scream my name until your voice went raw.

” My thighs clench, betraying my body’s desire.

“But you’re right, we can’t let this go further. ”

“I guess sometimes the right things happen at the wrong time,” I say softly. “But I don’t regret kissing you either.”

He opens his eyes, his thumb brushing my cheek. “You’re so damn beautiful, darlin’.”

“Careful now, with talk like that, you’re starting to sound like a cowboy,” I tease, a playful glint in my eye.

“One thing New Yorkers and cowboys have in common is that we understand a well-placed curse word is the most effective way to make a point.”

He might not admit it, but there’s a lot more country in him than he lets on, and the longer he’s in Bluebell, the more that side shows.

If I could get him in a pair of boots to go along with those Wranglers he’s been wearing, I’d probably never be able to think straight again.

That could be problematic since I’m supposed to be finding ways to dial down my attraction toward him, not make it stronger.

A good first step would be getting off his lap and creating distance between us.

Yeah, definitely that.

I run my fingers through his hair, pressing a chaste kiss to his lips. “Had to sneak in one last one before going cold turkey.”

Jensen gives me a soft smile as I climb off his lap and grab my phone from the seat beside us.

“Briar?”

“Yeah?”

“Had to get one more look at you standing in the moonlight with those bee-stung lips—before I go cold turkey,” he teases, echoing my earlier words.

I brush my fingers over my mouth, giving him a wistful smile before slipping inside.