He pulls us both to a stop, then shuffles close to adjust my hat, pulling it further down to cover my ears. Then he takes hold of my coat, tugging the edges together. It brings us that little bit closer, enough that I can feel his warm breath on my lips when he speaks.
“The zip can go a little higher if you want.” There’s nothing sexy about what he said, but thewayhe said it makes my toes curl in my boots.
His eyes dip to my mouth, then dart back up again. I lick my lips in reaction and he groans, pressing his forehead against mine. “I know we agreed anything other than friends was the worst idea, but I really,reallywant to kiss you right now.”
Yeah, I fucking want that too.
And with him looking at me like that, I can’t think of a single reason why he shouldn’t. “Do it,” I whisper, heart in my throat as he pulls back to meet my gaze.
“But you said?—”
“I know what I said.” I slip my hands out of my pockets and settle them on his hips, fingers sinking into the thickness of his coat. “It’s just a kiss, Pete. We don’t have to make it anything else.”
I tilt my chin up in invitation. It’s up to him to meet me in the middle.
The seconds it takes him to make a decision feel like hours, then his hands tighten on my coat, holding me in place as his mouth finally covers mine.
My eyes flutter closed as I sink into it. His lips are cold, but his tongue is so, so hot as he deepens the kiss and slides it into my mouth. He groans, deep and guttural, and it goes right tomy cock. Not that it’s seeing any action out here, I’d like to keep it from falling off due to frostbite, but my imagination doesn’t know that. I can’t help but picture Pete on his knees, that hot mouth wrapped around me as he makes that sound again.
Fuck.
This goes against everything I’ve clung to for the last four days, but the only thought in my head as Pete tugs me that little bit closer is why the fuck have we waited so long?
In the back of my mind, I know the answer to that.
Because I knew it would feel like this.
And I’d want to keep doing it.
The fact that I can’t, that I have to leave here in ten days to get back to my life elsewhere, is the push I need to slide my hands to Pete’s chest and gently ease him back enough to break us apart.
“Sorry,” he murmurs. The deep sigh that follows tells me he means it. Before I can take it the wrong way, he offers me a wry smile. “I think that’s made everything ten times worse.”
I laugh because what else is there to do?
It wasn’tjust a kiss.
It was a toe-curling, pulse-racing, belter of a kiss that teased exactly how good we could be together. But our situation hasn’t magically changed in the last two minutes. “Eh.” I shrug. “Worth it.”
Pete’s smile softens and he reaches for my gloved hand, tugging me forward. “Come on then. Let’s walk before I’m tempted to do that again.”
I’m glad he starts moving, because if he kissed me again, I know I wouldn’t stop him.
We leave the pub behind, walking the slight incline that leads into countryside I trust Pete to navigate. I don’t let go of his hand, but neither of us draw attention to it. I might think he’sforgotten if it wasn’t for the way he squeezes my fingers every time he looks over at me and smiles.
I bury my face in my coat, the bottom half now protected from the wind, and sigh.
Going home is going to suck.
Pete drawsus to a halt when we finally crest the hill. Rolling fields stretch for miles around us, the odd cluster of houses dotted about, along with pockets of trees. Its stark beauty makes me feel small and insignificant.
“I can see why you live here.” There’s a touch of wistfulness to my tone. I live in the city now, but I didn’t grow up there. Where I lived wasn’t exactly like this, but we were surrounded by greenery and forests, and I miss it sometimes.
“It’s my home. I’ve never wanted to live anywhere else.” He sighs heavily, head dropping as he focuses on his feet. “I love it here. My family is close.” His shoulders hunch as he kicks a stone back down the path, and he speaks so quietly I almost miss it. “But it can be lonely sometimes.”
When Pete draws close enough that our shoulders brush, I lean into him a little. I tell myself it’s because he’s a nice barricade against the wind, because that’s easier to accept than the fact I just want to be near him.
His words have made me curious. “You never found someone you wanted to live here with?” My heart beats hard as I wait for his answer. It has no bearing on me whatsoever, but that doesn’t seem to matter.
