He’d pictured kissing her more times than hecould recall, but none of those imaginings came close to the realthing. His heart raced aseverythinginside him becamefocused on her and the peace she brought him. He’d never feltanything as right as Aida.
Kissing her showed him exactly what he waslosing by letting her go, but this moment would carry him throughthe dark days thatwouldfollow this one.
At first, Aida was so shocked she couldn’treact, and then, when his lips softened against hers and she felthis tongue, she melted into him. For the first time in months, sheforgot about the island, forgot about the scars marring her bodyand soul, and focused on Julian and the joy he brought to herlife.
The scent of him, the heat of his bodyagainst hers, and his arms enveloping her became the center of herworld. Releasing her chin, he slid his hand up her back and throughher hair to clasp the back of her head. She draped her arms aroundhis neck and drew him closer as the kiss deepened.
Nestled within his embrace, she forgot allabout her fear of the past and the future as he made her feel saferthan she ever had before. She didn’t know how long they stood withtheir arms around each other while they shut out the rest of theworld. It could have been hours or minutes, but it wasn’t enoughtime.
Julian broke the kiss and released her when afootfall sounded in the hall. He hastily stepped away from her asecond before Mollie appeared in the doorway. Her sister grinned atthem, but her smile fell away when she took in Aida’s openmouth.
“Everything okay?” she asked.
“Oh, ah… yeah,” Aida muttered and tossed apair of socks into the suitcase. “Just rearranging again.”
“Again?” Mollie asked.
“I’m making sure everything is all set.”
“I think you made sure the first two hundredtimes. Now, it’s an obsession.” Mollie tempered her words with akind smile. “Would you like some help?”
“No. I’ll be down in a few minutes.”
Mollie tore her gaze away from the suitcaseto glance between her and Julian again. He focused on the far wallas he willed her to go away while trying to control the riotousbeat of his heart.
“I’m going to miss you, kiddo,” Molliesaid.
Aida forced a smile; she knew how difficultthis was for Mollie, and she would desperately miss her sister, butshe wished Mollie wouldgoaway.
“I’m going to miss you too. I’ll bedownstairs soon,” Aida promised.
“Okay, okay.” Mollie held up her hands as shebacked out of the room. “I can take a hint. I’ll see youdownstairs.”
She waved to Julian before walking away. Aidaopened her mouth to say… Well, she had no idea what to say. Whatcould she possibly say after that kiss? She’d spent the past coupleof months in a fog, and she’d never seen it coming. She always knewwhen a boy was interested and worked her magic over them, butflirting or teasing her way through this was not going to work.
Not after that kiss.
It took everything she had not to lift herhand to her mouth. She’d been kissed dozens of times over theyears, been felt up, and rounded third base, but none of thoseexperiences affected her as profoundly as that single kiss.
Julian wasn’t like the boys in her past whoshe’d wrapped around her finger with a smile and a touch on theirarm. He wasn’t going to trip over himself to do what she asked inthe hopes of getting laid. He was a vampire, but more, he was herfriend. She couldn’t lose him, and she was so scared if shesaid or did the wrong thing right now, she would.
Uncertain of how to stop that from happening,she found her tongue glued to the roof of her mouth while shestared at him.
“I should go,” Julian said when the awkwardsilence stretched on.
She almost shoutednowhen she lurchedforward to grasp his wrist. She opened her mouth to speak, but thatglue still had her tongue rooted like a tree. She’d never lackedfor confidence, never been tripped up by a boy, and she’dneverhad words fail her, but he’d rocked her world.
Was he trying to be more than a friend? Wasthe kiss an experiment? What did he want from her?
She should be asking him these questions, butall she managed was an inarticulate noise.
“It’s okay,” he assured her.
He couldn’t stand the confusion anduncertainty in her eyes as they ran over his face. The kiss was hisgoodbye to her, and he wasn’t expecting anything from her. Shedeserved to live every one of her dreams, and he would not stand inher way.
He clasped her face in his palms and kissedher forehead. “Have a safe trip, Aida. Enjoy yourself and live yourdreams.”
He was sentencing himself to a life ofloneliness and probably death by walking away, but he wouldn’t puthis burdens on her.
