And then I felt it. Strong hands, light but steady, sliding beneath my legs and along my back, holding me, making me light again. Luke had slipped into the pool without a sound. His hands rested over my dress, and yet it felt like nothing was between us. Slowly, he spun me around him, as if we were following a memory instead of inventing the moment. For a breathless second, it felt like we’d done this a hundredtimes before. And would do it a hundred times again. I smiled involuntarily, letting the moment take me.
I opened my eyes and saw a version of Luke I’d never seen before. Incandescently happy, gazing into my eyes, holding me. And I let him. Somewhere deep in my mind, a small voice screamed that I was a fool, that he would just use me, that he only wanted sex. But I could swear to all the gods that existed, I could see it in his soul—none of that was true. I slowed us down, holding his gaze, searching. A dare. Permission.
There was something in there. Something real. Pained restraint. His hands steadied me when I stood in front of him, but never left me. They moved to my waist, and I got greedy. He had touched me more tonight than the whole time we’d known each other, yet it wasn’t enough. The air wasn’t breezy anymore. It was heavy. As was my breathing. I wasn’t in control anymore. It was as if my mind had stayed home, but my body had come to Europe. It didn’t belong to me anymore; it belonged tohim.
My hands drifted through the water until they met his stomach. His muscles contracted from my touch, and I exhaled softly. His grip tightened, and suddenly, I was pressed against the pool’s edge. The scent of gin mixed with his breath, intoxicating in the best way. My fingers traced his abs, slowly dancing their way to his chest, lightly. Like gliding over keys on a piano.
He was lost in the moment, trying not to lose control. But I felt it in his touch how much he wanted this. How much he was trying to grasp the last straw of logic. I shifted, my legs brushing his underwater, earning a firmer squeeze. I closed my eyes for a moment because the sensation was too much to bear. He moved an inch closer to me. I was getting dizzy, my chest rising and falling. Luke watched my reaction, battling with something behind those dark eyes.
I wanted to fight it, but this night, his hands, the weed, letting my defenses down, forbade me to ruin this moment. So I risked it. I lifted my hands to his biceps, fingertips grazing the length of his muscles, as the peaks of my breasts lightly brushed his chest. He exhaled sharply.
“We shouldn’t,” he finally murmured, his eyes on my lips. But he didn’t move away. And I should have been hurt. Of course, we shouldn’t. I wasn’t the kind of woman he was used to hooking up. It wasn’t even about looks; it was their confidence, their effortless allure. I wasn’t sad about it, I just wasn’t like them. But since my emotions were spiraling and my brain had shut off, I dared to ask.
“Why not?”
His hands finally,finallyslid to my ribs, and the sensation was electric. My nails dug into his skin, instinct overriding thought. I didn’t even care.
“I promised you, didn’t I?” he said, swallowing hard, torn between restraint and desire. “I promised you I wouldn’t do that.”
“You did, didn’t you?”Why? Why did you promise that, you enormous human tree?He was dangerous enough to make me keep my distance, but just considerate enough to promise he’d never cross a line.
Luke cupped my cheek, and I closed my eyes, desperate to memorize it, to engrave this feeling in my bones. So that even when the morning came, and my mind turned against me, I couldn’t forget this moment even if I wanted to. It would be mine forever. The light graze of his fingers along my jaw made me question the very fabric of the universe.
“I also told you I’d kiss you someday,” he murmured, stepping between my legs. Instinctively, I wrapped them around his waist, hard against my center, drawing a deep grunt from his chest.
“Do you think... today...?” The words barely made it past my lips, lost to the ache pulsing through me.
It was both euphoria and torture. I’d never wanted something that was so bad for me that much in my life. I’d always known when to walk away, when something or someone would only lead to heartbreak. So how could I not care? This would ruin me. But none of that mattered. Not when I felt him press against me, sending my senses into overdrive.
He closed his eyes, pressing his forehead to mine, surrendering to the madness with me.
“Hazel, sweetie, you should stop me,” he murmured. Damn, thatsweetieagain.I’d give him anything for thatsweetiealone. His hands were so soft against my skin.
“I can’t,” I exhaled the painful truth. “I’m sorry.” I moved my body up just enough to send a spark of friction between us. Luke tightened his grip.
Was he holdingmestill—or himself?
His fingers battled the flimsy fabric of my dress, my skin burning beneath his touch. His hands gripped my ass as his thumbs traced soft, maddening circles, stealing the breath from my lungs. Then his palm cupped my face again. My head followed him, and he leaned into my neck, pressing the lightest kiss.
“Are you sure this is what you want?” His tongue lightly brushed my throat. A small moan slipped from my mouth, and he grunted, barely holding on by a thread.
I wanted to scream. I longed for him to take my body, but I couldn’t beg. Not anymore. I promised myself that a long time ago.
His palm slid down my body, reaching my bra, and his thumb grazed my aroused nipple through the fabric. I inhaled a sharp breath and closed my eyes.
I was dying. Where’s my coffin?
“Fuck, Hazel. I...” Luke cursed, holding me tighter. He licked his lips, sending fire straight to my core. Just as he leaned in, just as it seemed he would finally kiss me...
A whispered, strained“Luke”cut through the air. Not my voice. The spell shattered. His head fell back, but his hands still held me. We stared at each other, breathless, aching. Like it was the last time we ever would.
“He’ll come looking for me,” Luke exhaled, still with his eyes on me.Who?I nodded.
He slowly let go of my body and put some distance between us. It was only an inch, but it felt like there was a crater between us now. I couldn’t look away, nor could he.
“Luke!” The voice was getting louder. Approaching.
“I must go,” he said, guilty, his gaze flicking to my lips. It was officially too much. I needed to get away.
