He paused, giving her time to pull away.
She didn’t.
The next instant, his lips brushed against hers.
He waited again, almost as if he wanted permission to continue.
Naomi’s hand slid to the back of his neck, and she kissed him back.
As the kiss deepened, something unfurled in her chest. Warmth. Hope. The feeling that maybe—just maybe—something good could come out of all this darkness.
Micah’s hand came up to cradle the side of her face, his thumb stroking along her jaw. Naomi leaned into him, letting herself feel this. Letting herself want this.
When they finally pulled apart, both of them were breathless.
Naomi’s forehead rested against his, her eyes closed and her heart pounding.
“Naomi,” Micah murmured.
“Yeah?”
“I—”
The sharp buzz of the gate app cut him off.
They both froze.
Naomi pulled back, her hand sliding from Micah’s neck to his shoulder. She looked toward the driveway.
A pair of headlights aimed at the gate, illuminating the iron bars.
Micah’s expression instantly shifted back to alert and professional. “You expecting anyone?”
“No.”
He stood, the blanket sliding off his shoulders, and he moved to the edge of the porch.
The gate app on her phone buzzed again.
Naomi pressed the button on her screen. A video appeared, but the image was too grainy for her to see the features of the person on the other side. “Can I help you?”
A voice crackled through the speaker. “Naomi? It’s me. Gio.”
Naomi’s stomach dropped.
Gio? No . . .
Not now. Not tonight.
His timing couldn’t be any worse.
