Kaia’s panicked eyes found mine. I hadn’t heard her say the words, but right then I knew—she still cared.
Maybe that’s why I lowered my mouth to hers. Or maybe it was pure selfishness. Our last kiss had tortured me for years. Hopeless. Final. This one wouldn’t be. If she let me, I’d kiss her for the rest of my life—each one happy, light, healing.
“Let me,” I said, lips grazing hers. “Please, let me kiss you.”
She closed her eyes and leaned in.
Another track kicked in. Neither of us cared.
Our mouths meshed like they’d never forgotten.
Kaia’s arms wound around my neck. My hands stayed buried in her hair as my tongue slid against hers—slow, completely off-tempo with the frantic pounding of my heart.
I traced her spine, down to the sliver of skin exposed at her waist.
Her fingers tangled in my hair as I devoured her.
Someone bumped me from behind. Fucking people. I tore my mouth from hers and backed us into the shadows, keeping her tight against me until we reached the narrow hallway near the bathrooms.
She pushed me against the wall.
“I haven’t forgiven you yet, Ash,” she said, voice unsteady.
“It’s okay. I’m not going anywhere.”
She pressed her chest to mine, cupped my cheek, and kissed me again. My spine tingled with so much want I could hardly breathe.
I dragged my mouth down her neck, tasting the quick beat under her skin, my thumbs stroking her waist.
Her breath hitched when I bit softly. She arched against me, gripping my shirt as I kissed lower, to the place where her neck met her shoulder.
“We can’t go to my place. Alba’s home, and I didn’t warn her,” she whispered.
I nipped at her earlobe. “Want to go to mine?”
Whatever this was—her moment of weakness, poor judgment, or the start of another regret—I wanted it. I wanted everything she was willing to give, but I’d take it in the privacy of my apartment, not in a club’s hallway.
Kaia’s breath shuddered out. “Yes.”
I kissed her jaw, wrapped her in my arms, and let hope flood my chest. “Let’s go.”
CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX
Kaia
The cab ride to Asher’s place passed in a blur, broken only by quick flashes of clarity—him texting his friends, me texting Alba so no one worried. The rest was heat: his hand wrapped around mine, his mouth brushing my jaw, my lips.
We didn’t talk. Words would’ve ruined it. They would’ve made me think when I only wanted to feel. To sink into his nearness, even if I regretted it by morning.
The taxi stopped in front of a high-rise downtown. Asher paid, got out, and held the door for me.
The second my feet hit the sidewalk, he laced his fingers through mine and led me inside.
On the elevator, silence pressed close. My insides buzzed with nerves. He reached over, tucking a strand behind my ear. His fingertips lingered on my cheek as his gaze traced my face. Then the shiny gray doors slid open.
“Come on,” he murmured.
Once more, I slipped my hand into his. We walked to the mahogany door on the right. He let go to fumble with his keys. The tip kept missing the lock, and he muttered a curse.
