He stood behind her, suddenly unsure of what to do next. Her long hair was tied up in a high bun, her dress’s open-back showing off her soft golden skin all the way to her waist. More than anything, he wanted to reach out and touch her. Feel her warmth under the palm of his hand.
Instead, he cleared his throat and placed his hands safely behind his back.
“Jess?”
She turned around, the smile on her face widening. “You’re here. I was worried you’d left already.”
“Just about to. I wanted to come say goodbye.”
“Oh.” Jess frowned and sipped her drink. Her eyes met his, all the unsaid things hanging in the air between them. Did she feel it too?
His phone dinged, alerting him the Uber was arriving. “That’s my ride now, actually.”
“Can I walk you out?”
“I’d like that.”
She followed him to the door, his stomach churning with nerves. Collecting his bag from the coat area where he’d left it, he walked next to her toward the Uber, neither of them speaking.
What could he say? Tell her he’d fallen for her? That seemed unfair. He had far too much baggage to sort out from his failed engagement, plus an apartment to save, a life to recover.
“I really enjoyed getting to work with you, Jess,” he said, trying to hold back from saying more and making it awkward.
“Me too, Nate. Thanks for all your help. It meant a lot.”
The Uber pulled up. If only he had more time. He wanted so much more time with this beautiful woman. “I wish we’d met in other—”
“I know,” she interrupted him.
Nate leant in for a hug, but Jess took his face in her hands, kissing him on the lips. Her kiss, light at first, hesitant, and then deeper. His hands found her hips and pulled her close. With her body up against his, he forgot all his sensible intentions.
There was only this.
This moment. Jess in his arms, kissing him like nothing else mattered.
The Uber driver beeped his horn, and Jess stood back.
“You better go,” she whispered, finding his hands.
He held her fingers tight, not wanting to let go. “I should.”
But his body refused to budge. If he took his eyes off her, that would be it. It would be over, and he didn’t want it to be. He wanted to kiss her again. He wanted to say more. Tell her all the things he was feeling.
“Go,” she said, her eyes seeming to say the opposite as she released his hand.
Looking from the Uber to Jess and back again, Nate’s mind froze. Automatically, he grabbed his bag and placed it in the back of the car.
“Thanks, Jess.”
She smiled.
What an idiot. Of all the things he could say, of course he went with politeness. He tried to shake his head clear, his lips still burning, still speechless, from her kiss. She waved and Nate, not knowing what else to do, stepped into the car, closed the door, and waved back as the driver pulled away.
19
BACK IN LONDON, the chill of the winter air cut even more bitterly because of what was missing. New Zealand hadn’t just been warmer in temperature, the people had embraced him in a way Nate hadn’t experienced before. Even after finding out he was a real doctor, they hadn’t harassed him for hiding things. Hadn’t made him lay bare all his painful secrets, like he’d expected them to. They’d simply wrapped around him like friends at a beach party and invited him to share their laid-back, fun approach to life.
Even Jess in the end. Especially Jess.
