Avery frowned. “What did you see in her?”
“Nothing real, as it turns out.”
She ran her fingers along the back of his hand. “We all make mistakes.”
“Mm,” he said, pressing his lips against her hair. “Still count me as one of them?”
A half smile tipped her mouth. “I’m undecided.”
“Anything I can do to tip the scales in my favor?” he asked.
“The top of a cliff is not the best place to play around. Just saying.”
“You make me forget myself,” he said smoothly.
She huffed out a laugh. “Just watch the sunset.”
Relaxing back against him, she took in the sweeping panorama. How was she ever going to leave this place?
It’s not just the views you’re going to miss.
Her fingers drifted along Hayden’s sun-warmed skin. Karen would have a fit laughing if she knew Avery had ended up stuck in a remote cabin with the man she was avoiding. But right now she couldn’t summon the energy to worry. For once, they stood together in companionable silence, and she was going to enjoy it while it lasted.
Tilting her head back, she glanced up at her partner. He stared at the ocean with a frown, his expression distant.
“You okay?” she asked.
He blinked, looking down at her. “Lost in thought.”
She swallowed, not needing to be a mind reader to guess what he was thinking about. “Do you still miss her?”
“Sophia?” he snorted. “Not anymore.”
“Did you see her after you parted ways?”
He shook his head. “I’d never want to.”
She chewed on her lips. “I haven’t seen Jon since we signed the papers. The first few months of our divorce he used to call whenever he was drinking. Beg me to return. I’m sure you know the drill.”
“But you didn’t.”
“No,” she said, shifting to face forward again. “I was a different person by the time we were over.”
“I’m a big fan of that person.”
She smiled. “I think I am, too. Now. Took a while.”
“You were always so calm and composed at work.”
“What did you expect me to do? March into your office and start sobbing on your desk?
He sighed. “I should have known what was going on. I wasn’t paying attention.”
“It’s not like we crossed paths much.”
“Still. I didn’t know anything about you.”
She tilted her head back up. “You know a lot now.”
He grinned down at her. “True. And I hope there’s more to come.”
Her fingers danced along the edge of his jaw. Did he really want to know more about her? Every time she learned a little more about him, it only fascinated her and made her want to keep digging deeper. To hear all the stories of his past, even the painful ones. He was the ultimate riddle, and she’d never liked walking away from a puzzle unfinished.
But the more she learned, the harder it was to stay away.
Hayden’s head dipped, his gaze dropping to her mouth.
She hesitated for a moment before rising to her toes to touch her mouth to his.
Avery’s eyes fluttered shut as their lips touched in a soft kiss. With the ocean spray lingering in the air and the last heat of the day soaking into her skin, she felt loath to ruin this perfect moment. Happiness settled deep inside her bones as his mouth slanted over hers.
Giving herself over to the kiss, she wound her arms around his neck and pressed her breasts to his chest.
His hands slid over her hips in a burning touch she felt even through her shorts. But his kiss remained light. Tasting. Teasing.
This kiss wasn’t like ones they’d shared before. It wasn’t about lust and need. Instead he touched her like she was glass, ready to shatter if he made a careless move. There was more tenderness in this single caress than she’d felt in all their previous interactions, including when he’d been deep inside her.
Something quivered within her, pieces of a broken heart pulling themselves together. Lust she could guard against, fight to ignore. But this insidious gentleness slipped past all her barriers. It made her want in a way that went far beyond physical release.
Is it the same for him?
Did he feel the way the earth shifted for them? Or was she just another fool blinded by his dazzling smile and charming presence?
His lips glided over hers, teasing her into craving more. Heat burned low in her abdomen. Standing on the secluded cliff’s edge, she could almost believe they were alone in their own little world, a reality outside of time, where consequences didn’t matter.
Careful, part of her whispered.
Don’t listen, the other half replied.
She’d never thought she’d find this again. This desire. This tenderness. She’d always thought it was a once in a lifetime occurrence if it happened at all.