at all, but that wasn’t the truly troubling part. Despite knowing better, I wanted to get to know her again, and I was sure that made me a fool.
With the bookshelf in place, I turned to face her and found eyes lit with warmth and desire that hit me like a sledgehammer to the gut.
“Thank you again,” she whispered. “I couldn’t have done it without you.”
Despite that something’s not quite right feeling still churning in my gut, I nodded. “You’re welcome.” The unintentionally husky quality of my voice must have had a visceral effect, causing goosebumps to race up and down her arms. The hollow at the base of her throat bottomed out, and a visible shiver ran down her spine.
My eyes dropped to her perfect mouth again, then met hers once more.
Her lips parted, and her gaze searched my face as if I had the answers she needed, but I wasn’t even sure what the questions were. Something delicate in her expression took me back to the old days: Our first kiss, the first time I’d held her close, the sensation of her peach-soft skin on mine. I recalled how hard we loved, how easily we’d fallen, and how perfect she always felt in my arms. She looked at me like I was the piece missing from her life; she made me believe everything would be fine as long as I had her, and there were a million other little things that made me fall for her, and without thinking, I closed the distance between us.
She stood there with excitement flickering in her incredible eyes and watched me approach. I pulled her into my arms, and she looked at me as if asking what would happen next. I didn’t have words to offer because this wasn’t planned.
“Noah,” she whispered.
My name on her lips sent arousal bolting through every inch of my being, and I let out a little growl. Lost in memories, I lowered my lips to hers and swallowed her soft breath of surprise. My tongue slid along her lower lip. She whimpered and opened to me without hesitation.
My whole body responded to her, and my core tightened with lust. I strained against the front of my pants, every fiber of my being tensing.
She let out a soft moan of pleasure as my tongue swirled around hers, then ravaged her mouth.
Her arms slipped up around my shoulders, and she clung to me as if she’d fall if I weren’t holding her. I’d wanted to kiss her all day, but I battled those feelings.
This was a terrible idea, but we were adults. The heart wanted what it wanted, and right now, that was Kandra.
So what if she had hurt me? We could start over, start fresh, try again. This time, there’d be no secrets between us. I’d find out exactly what she needed, and we’d figure out how to build something together because I wanted Kandra in my life.
It was stupid to think I could fight this, and I was done trying.
She was mine.
Chapter Fourteen
Kandra
With his lips on mine, he scooped me up. After a small squeak of surprise, I wrapped my legs around his hips as he carried me toward my bedroom. He pushed the door open with his elbow, and seconds later, lowered me onto my bed. Clinging to him, I gasped as he broke the kiss.
His weight pressed between my thighs while delicious sensations spread like liquid warmth through my core. Staring up into his earnest eyes, I sensed his hesitation. Was he waiting for me to tell him something?
A nagging thought that I needed to tell him the truth filled me, but I couldn’t form the words.
“Do you want this?” he asked gently.
His need for my consent made my heart swell, and I nodded. “I do.”
The second the words left my lips, he leaned in and kissed me again. My hands flattened to his abs, and the sensation of steel under smooth skin sent my heart into overdrive. His tongue tickled my lips, and I opened for him as I slid my hands up his chest, pulling his shirt up with them.
He broke the kiss and yanked it off. With him leaning over me, powerful and restrained with white-hot passion in his eyes, I couldn’t breathe. He captured the hem of my shirt, and I wiggled and raised a few inches as he slipped it over my head and flung it on the floor.
He stared at me for a heartbeat, then another. Worry began to