We didn’t say a word. We just shifted until we were lying down on the couch, my back against his chest, his arm wrappedfirmly around my waist. The oddest contrast settled over us, a magical, breathless hush tangled with the ridiculous sound ofThe Snorkstheme song playing quietly in the background.
I wanted something I could never have.
Him.
A life with him and Elias.
Chapter Thirteen
JASON
Before I opened my eyes,I knew I wasn’t in my bed or alone. Other than the sound of Cora’s steady breathing, the house was quiet. When I peeled my eyes open, sunlight was just beginning to stream through the French doors. The arched window was high enough that a beam was hitting the coffee table, and dust particles were floating in it.
I couldn’t fault the housekeeper. From what I understood, in this area of Texas nothing short of a biocontainment unit could keep dust out.
This was the second time I’d slept soundly through the night. Thanks to her.
She took a deep breath and snuggled closer, her leg hooked over mine. I’d never been with a woman who fit so perfectly against me. Or made me want to be a man she’d want to fit against.
A smile lifted my lips. I liked this. Far, far too much. I couldn’t keep her, and I knew it.
I brushed her hair back from her face, studying her features. The way her nose sloped. Her soft skin. The barely there freckles that disappeared when she had a little too much sun. Those incredibly plump lips that I’d kissed the night before.
One minute she was hugging me, and the next, her fingers were tracing my lips. It’d been the best kiss of my life. The only kiss that had filled me with a sense of peace and contentment, like I’d found the place where I belonged and the person I belonged to.
If I could have, I’d have frozen time and kissed her until the earth stopped spinning. I wanted to stop it now. Preserve this moment, commit to memory, because I knew it couldn’t… wouldn’t last forever.
Her eyes fluttered open, and her lips lifted. “Hi.”
“Good morning.” I smiled, brushing her hair back again. She was gorgeous all of the time, but bathed in the morning light, she looked ethereal. An angel.
My angel.
Not mine. I had to remind myself.
I pulled her closer and set my forehead against hers. For just a moment, I was going to savor this and pretend that it was real. I don’t know if she sensed that need in me or the universe took mercy, but we stayed like that longer than I expected. Warm, content, and peaceful.
“How’d you sleep?” she asked.
“Good. You?”
She nodded. “Good.”
Again, silence fell over us as we lay there. Just holding each other and breathing. Perfect moments didn’t happen often for me, but this rated as the top one and I couldn’t see another moment topping it.
“This is nice,” she whispered, almost like the words might break the spell.
Without any thought, I pressed my lips to her forehead before replying, “Yeah, it is.”
Her chest rose as she inhaled deeply, and it rippled through her body into mine. “We kissed last night.”
“We did.”
“I don’t know what to think about that.”
I did. It was incredible, and I wouldn’t mind doing it often and for the rest of my life. I also didn’t want to blow up whatever this was and if I opened my mouth the possibility would grow exponentially.
Another shaky breath. “Jason…” Her voice cracked just slightly, her eyes darting from my eyes to my lips and back. “That kiss was… amazing.”
