“You didn’t ruin anything.” I shifted slightly so I could see his face better. “Sitting in a broken car in the rain with you is better than most of my perfectly planned days.”
“You’re just saying that to make me feel better.”
“I’m saying it because it’s true.” I reached up and touched his face, my cold fingers against his warm cheek. “I’d rather be here with you than anywhere else right now. Even in a rainstorm. Even stranded.”
His eyes searched mine like he was trying to figure out if I meant it. Whatever he found there made his expression soften, made him lean slightly into my touch.
“Can I tell you something?” he asked.
“Always.”
“I’m falling for you.” The words came out quiet but certain. “I’ve been falling since that terrace three years ago and seeing you again just made it impossible to pretend otherwise. You’re brilliant and determined and funny in ways that catch me off guard. And sitting here with you, stranded in the middle of nowhere, I can’t think of anywhere else I’d rather be.”
My heart forgot its normal rhythm, started doing something complicated that made breathing difficult and speaking impossible. He was looking at me with complete honesty, no walls or careful distance, just raw truth laid bare.
“I’m falling too,” I managed finally. “It terrifies me. I’m not good at wanting things. But I want this. I want you.”
His hand came up to cup my face, thumb tracing my cheekbone with deliberate gentleness. “Can I kiss you?”
I didn’t bother answering with words. Just closed the distance between us and pressed my lips to his.
The kiss started soft, tentative, like we were both afraid of breaking something fragile. His mouth moved against mine with careful attention. Then his hand slid into my hair as he deepened the kiss. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled himcloser, needing more. His other hand found my waist, fingers pressing into my side through layers of clothing, anchoring me to him.
The kiss turned urgent, hungry. His tongue traced my lower lip and I opened for him immediately, tasting coffee and something warmer, sweeter. He groaned against my mouth and the sound went straight through me, lighting up nerves I’d forgotten existed.
I shifted closer, practically climbing into his lap despite the awkward angle and the console between us. He didn’t seem to mind, just pulled me tighter and kissed me like I was air and he’d been drowning. His hand moved from my waist to my lower back, the touch searing even through fabric.
When we finally broke apart, we were both breathing hard. I rested my forehead against his, our breath mingling in the small space between us. His hand was still in my hair, fingers gentle against my scalp. My hands were fisted in his shirt, holding on like letting go might make this disappear.
“I’ve wanted to do that since the moment I saw you again,” he said, his voice rough.
“You could have done it sooner.”
“I was trying to be a gentleman. Trying to take things slow.”
“How’s that working out?”
“Terribly. I have no self-control where you’re concerned.” He kissed me again, softer this time but no less intense. “None at all.”
I kissed him back, pouring everything I couldn’t say into the contact. All the fear and hope and desire I’d been trying to ignore for weeks. He met me with equal intensity, his hands moving over my back in patterns that made me forget about the cold and the rain and everything except this.
We kissed until my lips felt swollen and sensitive, until I was pretty sure I’d forgotten my own name, until the windowshad completely fogged over from our combined breath and body heat.
When we finally pulled apart again, Archie tucked me back against his chest, his arms wrapped around me like he had no intention of letting go.
“You’re dangerous,” he murmured into my hair.
“Me? You’re the one who just kissed me senseless.”
“You kissed me first.”
“Details.” But I was smiling, my face pressed against his neck where I could feel his pulse still racing. “We’re both dangerous.”
“Agreed. We should probably come with warning labels.”
“Warning: may cause highway disasters and inappropriate making out in broken cars.”
He laughed, the sound vibrating through his chest. “Perfect. Very responsible.”
