Page 62 of Rook
“Noah,” she whispered, breath trembling. “Thank you for coming tonight.”
His voice dropped, low and rough. “If something scares you… you reach for me. I’m the one who comes.”
He didn’t know who moved first. Maybe it was her. Maybe it was him. Maybe it was both of them,pulled together by something that had been building for years.
But suddenly her hands were on his chest, and his mouth was hovering just above hers, and the air between them was hot and thin and electric.
He shouldn’t have leaned in. He shouldn’t have let himself get close enough to feel her breath on his mouth.
But he did.
For a second, one dangerous, breathless second, he almost kissed her.
Not the kiss he’d been imagining for years. Just the edge of it.
Her lips parted. His hand tightened on her waist. The air between them thinned.
He stopped himself. Barely.
“Aves,” he breathed, the words brushing her lips. “Tell me to stop.”
She shook her head. “Don’t.”
That was all he needed.
His control snapped.
He kissed her.
Slow at first, careful, reverent, like he was afraid she might break. Her lips were soft, warm, familiar in a way that made his chest ache.
Then she made a small sound, a soft, desperate little exhale, and Noah lost the last of his restraint.
Heat surged between, a rush of everything they’d buried, everything they’d lost, everything they still wanted. Her fingers curled into his shirt, pulling him closer. He groaned softly against her mouth, the sound low and helpless, like she’d knocked the breath out of him.
His hand slid to the back of her neck, guiding her deeper into the kiss. Her lips parted beneath his,and the world narrowed to the warmth of her mouth, the soft gasp she made, the way she pressed against him like she couldn’t get close enough.
He’d imagined this a thousand times. None of it came close.
When they finally broke apart, they were both breathing hard, foreheads resting together, hearts pounding in sync.
Avery’s voice was barely a whisper. “I didn’t mean to fall apart tonight.”
He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her against his chest. “You didn’t fall apart,” he murmured into her hair. “You called me.”
She let out a shaky laugh. “I guess I did.”
“Good,” he said softly. “You keep doing that.”
He guided her toward the bed, pulling back the blankets. “Lie down.”
She hesitated. “Noah…”
“I’m not touching you,” he said softly. “Not like that. Not tonight. You’re exhausted.”
She exhaled, relieved and disappointed all at once.
He lay down beside her, pulling her gently into his arms. She curled against him without hesitation, her head on his chest, her hand resting over his heart.
