My gaze danced over his, and I leaned a little closer, parting my lips in breathless anticipation. I wanted him. To taste him. To feel his arms holding me tight. And as I searched his eyes, I was sure he wanted the same thing.
He inched himself closer, and with his finger, tucked a piece of hair behind my ear. “You’re beautiful.”
Breathable air was long gone.
“All day long, I’ve wanted to touch you.” His gaze flittered between my eyes. “Am I overstepping? Am I reading too much into this?”
It was the faintest of head shakesto roll out of me, but he accepted my answer and cupped his hand on my cheek, replacing the cool with a burst of heat that radiated across my face and down over my chest.
“You’re not.” My words were but afaint whisper.
“I want to kiss you. I’ve been fighting it all day.”
“You don’t need to fight anymore.” Because I wanted him too. I pushed up on the balls of my feet and leveled myself to him, taking in the wanton desire building in his eyes.
Without another word, he brushed his lips across mine, and I wrapped my arms around his neck to pull him in closer and tighter. Jesse’s kiss had incredible strength and power as I suddenly felt like I was floating, and we’d been transported to another world. His hands slipped to the small of my back, instantly electrifying me, and I pushed deeper into a kiss I never knew was possible.
The world around us faded out of sight, a blur of twinkling lights, muted carollers, and fuzzy snowflakes wrapping around us. I kissed him and welcomed him into a place long deserted. Kissing Jesse gave me new life and the swirling butterflies in my gut launched themselves, lifting me into the heavens.
“MonaBaker Jones! What the hell is wrong with you?”
That’s when I crashed to the ground.
Chapter Twelve
My little sister stormed over to stand in front of me, while Eric pulling Henry on a child’s sled slowlycaught up.
“What the hell are you doing?”She glared at Jesse. “And you! You should be ashamed of yourself. She’s a married woman.”
In a move I didn’t expect, Jesse tightened his grip around my waist. I expected him to drop and hightail it out of there.I’ve seen Lily’s explosions before; they weren’t pretty. She was more like a grenade taking everyone around her out.
“Lil, I think we need to talk.” I swallowed down a bite of bile which had risen fairly quickly. Long gone were the flutters of excitementand anticipation, now the adrenaline surging through me was ready for a fight.
Lily glanced back to her fiancé and son. “I’ll be right back.”
She turned her angry eyes in my direction. Having seen this expression in her many times, mostly when I was dragging her back home, I wasn’t too worried. Especially since I’d long given up on my sister actually liking me.
“Let’s go.”
“Somewhere more private.” If I was going to explain the failings in my life, I didn’t want witnesses.
She marched over to an area between the skate shack and the tree, no one was in ear shot. “What the hell?”
“Lily, there’s something you need to know.” I sighed and dug my boot under the snow. Best to spit it out, pick up the pieces, and fill in any blanks. “Charlie and I… We’ve been having problems.”
“So?” Her eyes narrowed, and if I didn’t know better, the daggers were being lined up, readying for launch. “That gives you noright to kiss another man. That’s adultery.”
I nodded, as I didn’t disagree.
“The thing is…” I inhaled a sharpbite of cooled air. “Charlie and I split up.” Oh my god, I actually said it to her. The relief was overwhelming, and I no longer shouldered the burden of keeping it secret.
The daggers loweredand her voice softened. “What? When?”
“A year ago, last December, just after Christmas. He moved out shortly thereafter and let me stay in the house while it was being listed, until it sold. Three days ago, I moved into my own apartment after signing the divorce papers. It’s over.”
She stood unmoving like astone statue, with only her lips forming the barest of syllables. “Divorce?”
“We had to. We couldn’t make it work. Charlie always wanted kids, and well…” I stared at the flakes gathering on Lily’s shoulders and arms. “I’m broken, Lily. I can’t ever have children.”