“Great!” Jennifer clasped her hands together. “Speaking of pictures, can we get one of you two together?”
“Of course.” Macey placed the camera in her tote, then turned to face Jennifer.
Jennifer let out a high-pitched giggle. “I meant, like,together.”
What did that mean?
Macey and I stared at each other for an indeterminateamount of time before something lit in her eyes. “Right, of course.” She cleared her throat before joining me on my lounge chair.
Her thigh pressed against mine, warm and sure. She grabbed my hand, intertwining our fingers and holding them on her lap. I let out a shaky breath and reminded myself that this was nothing but a gimmick. But my body didn’t listen, leaning in closer to her. I very carefully did not show on my face what the electric touch of her so close to me did to my insides.
“You guys are the cutest.” Jennifer swooned and lifted her camera to her eyes. “Smile!”
I thought that would be all, that she’d be happy with that picture and walk away. I should’ve known it wouldn’t be that easy.
“Okay, now one of you kissing!”
Macey let out a sound that could only be described as a cross between a whine and a sigh. Neither of which did anything to appease my insides.
I grimaced. “We’re not really PDA people.”
“Just one kiss. It doesn’t have to be anything sensual.”
If she said the wordsensualto describe me and Macey again, I’d have to excuse myself and my hand from the pool area.
“It’s fine,” Macey whispered under her breath. “Just one kiss. It’s not a big deal.”
A prickle of irritation shot up my spine. Not a big deal?
It wasn’t a big deal to kiss someone who slithered unwelcome into the depths of my mind? It wasn’t a big deal to kiss someone who saw beyond my fame and called me out on my bullshit? It wasn’t a big deal to kiss someone who I was at present dreaming about doing way more than kissing?
Maybe it wasn’t a big deal to Macey, but it was to me. And I hated it.
“Pass,” I said.
“Noah.” Macey wheeled back, looking disappointed. She turned to Jennifer. “He’s just nervous.”
Admittedly, I’d never felt nervous around a girl before Macey. With most girls, I was confident, but apparently, when Macey showed that she cared about me, I froze. Now that I could acknowledge we cared about each other, the nerves had relented.
Besides, I didn’t get nervous in the bedroom.
Soft hands squeezed my cheeks, and Macey brought my face closer to hers. “But there’s nothing to be nervous about, right, honey?”
Before I could answer, she was pressing her lips to mine. The gentle brush of her fingertips caressed my cheek, then unfolded over the angle of my jaw. They stayed there for—for however long we kissed. Hell if I knew. Time had completely escaped me. We could have stayed there for minutes, hours, days.
I should have pulled away the moment I heard the click of Jennifer’s camera. But I didn’t. Instead, I leaned into Macey’s touch like a man lost in the desert, finding not just water but the purest oasis—something I hadn’t known I craved until now, and in impossible, unmeasured amounts.
My blood thickened, moving slowly through my veins like molten honey, every sensation heightened by the warmth of her skin against mine. Yet my heart betrayed me, pounding with a rhythm that threatened to give everything away. And then, just as quickly as it had begun, Macey pulled back.
Her expression flickered for a moment, eyes wide and pink lips swollen, as her confidence in her decision simmered.
Well.
Fuck me.
Jennifer let out a sigh of envy and glanced down at the screen of her camera. “We definitely got the shot. I cannothandle you two, seriously. See you on the cruise!” She waved and strutted off to find some other poor souls to photograph.
Macey’s hands, which were still on my cheeks, dropped suddenly. “Um,” she stuttered.
