He didn’t.
Instead, his forehead rested briefly against hers, a fleeting acknowledgment of irrevocability. Their breathing remained ragged, uneven, in tandem.
His gaze dropped momentarily to her lips, tempted. He needed more, knowing implicitly that one kiss would never satisfy the fire she ignited.
His thumb brushed her cheek tenderly, yet deliberate and possessive. “We’re not done.”
Arden’s pulse thundered, her voice steady yet edged with defiance and surrender.
“Not even close.”
The cool leather of the seat felt jarring in contrast to Arden’s still buzzing skin.
Then he was there, leaning in, invading her space, her breath, her senses.
The space filled with the warmth of him. Smoke. Spice. Dark and smoldering.
Her heart skipped, then pounded erratically.
His fingers skimmed her arm deliberately as he reached over, the barest brush against her skin, completely intentional.
A choice, not coincidence.
As Gideon pulled the seatbelt slowly across her body, his hand ghosted over the swell of her breasts and the sharp curve of her waist. Slow. Purposeful.
His knuckles grazed the underside of her breast, a touch so light it barely counted as contact. Her skin prickled, hyper-aware, every nerve sparking to life beneath him.
He never rushed or fumbled. Never wasted a single, electrifying second.
The soft click of the buckle echoed between them.
But his warm touch lingered, his fingers tracing over her ribs before pulling back. It unraveled her entirely. An electric thrill surged through her.
Then his lips brushed hers. Brief. Tender. A whisper-soft caress.
A promise rather than possession.
A stolen moment he refused to surrender.
His breath warmed her cheek as he drew back slightly, lips grazing her ear.
“Stay safe,” he whispered, voice roughened. Restrained desire threaded both words.
Her fingers curled into fists, and her breath caught sharply.
She didn’t dare move because she knew if she did, she’d pull him right back in.
The cool night air crept in as he stepped away, slipping into the space where his body had been.
The door closed firmly, final yet hollow.
As the car eased away, Arden leaned back into the seat. The low purr of the engine vibrated beneath her, steady and intimate, the aftershock of him still thrumming through her skin.
Penny mercifully stayed quiet, scrolling through her phone with a knowing smile. Arden stubbornly ignored her.
Her pulse continued to pound. Her lips tingled. Her body traitorously ached, craving the heat she’d left behind.
Her phone buzzed against her leg, slicing through the thick remnants of want coursing through her. When she checked the screen, his name lit up, and everything inside her lit up with it.
