“Kit,” she said again, with more control. Her body tensed involuntarily.
“What’s wrong?” He shifted to look down at her.
“Nothing.” She swallowed hard. “It’s just that technically it’s our first date.”
“Yeah.” He looked slightly puzzled before realisation flashed in his eyes. “Sorry,” he said, pulling himself off her. “I got carried away.”
“It’s fine.” Sitting beside him, she ran a hand through his hair.
“I don’t suppose it’s going to help if I tell you that you’re not allowed to have sex with me?”
She laughed into his neck. “I’m afraid not.”
He kissed her forehead, then turned his wrist to check the time. “It’s really late. I should probably go home.”
“I don’t want you to go.” With her face nestled against his neck she inhaled the scent of him. “I like you being here.”
Snuggling down again, Seren pulled the blanket over them and they lay tangled on the couch, chatting in the low light while the wind pelted rain against the window panes. As her eyelids grew heavier, Seren murmured about moving to her bed, but Kit was already sleeping soundly. Not wanting to wake him or leave him, she settled her head on his bicep and drifted off with her lips set in a gentle smile.
The following day was spent as lazily as the previous evening. In the middle of the afternoon, Seren looked longingly out of the window.
“I’d quite like the rain to stop now. It’d be nice to go for a walk or hang out on the beach for the afternoon.”
“Except if it wasn’t raining I’d be at work,” Kit pointed out, standing behind her and slipping his arms around her waist.
She leaned back against his chest. “Is having Keira working for you going well?”
“Yeah, it is actually. Which means I’ll be able to start taking more time off.”
“Next time we have a day off together and the weather’s nice, we should find a quiet beach and take a picnic and chill out for the day.”
He snuggled his cheek against her ear. “We should take Dad’s boat out and sail around the islands, stopping off at beaches along the way.”
“I like the sound of that.” Watching raindrops trickle down the window, she thought about how she and Noah used to spend whole days out on the boat. She felt a tightness grip her stomach. When Kit had said she’d be miserable until she sorted things out with Noah he’d been right. Or if not quite miserable, it certainly played on her mind and left her with a vague feeling of discomfort.
“What are you thinking about?” Kit asked. “You’ve gone all tense.”
“Nothing.” Pasting on a smile, she turned in his arms. “What are we going to have for dinner? I have a craving for crab cakes from the Tanglewood Kitchen. I haven’t had them for ages.” Again, the thought of crab cakes made her think of Noah and all the times they’d eaten them together. She pushed the thought aside. “Do you think they’ll deliver?”
Kit bit down on his lip, looking thoughtful. “I guess I could go and pick some up.”
“I knew you’d come in useful.” She flashed him a mischievous smile and gave him a quick peck before heading to the bathroom. When she came out again, Kit was standing in the kitchen, resting his forearms on the counter. He straightened up quickly when she approached him.
“What are you looking so guilty about?” she asked.
“I’m not.” He gave a subtle shake of the head, then planted his lips on hers in what she would’ve sworn was a deliberate distraction tactic. It worked well and she forgot all about the guilt in his features as he pressed his body against hers while the kisses grew in intensity. Slipping her hands under his T-shirt, she ran her fingers over his smooth back.
Her hesitation the previous evening had only been fear and not any lack of desire. In her head, sleeping with Kit felt like crossing a line that she couldn’t come back from. Now it occurred to her that she didn’twantto come back from it. She wanted everything with Kit; no hesitation, no half measures,everything.
“I was thinking I might pop home for a bit,” Kit said, pulling back.
Her heart sank. “How come?”
“I could do with a shower.”
“You could always shower here,” she suggested.
“I need fresh clothes.”