Page 45 of Adrift

I splutter, almost choking on a mouthful of wine.

He’s right. But nobody apart from me should know that.

Once I’ve shaken the spilled wine off my hand, I lift my gaze to meet his knowing little smile. Out of a hundred things I want to say, there’s one thing I have to ask first.

“How the hell did you know?”

Kieran laughs at the dumbfounded look on my face. “When I finished your sentence. There was a funny look on your face, and I just knew.”

I slowly shake my head. “Wow. Okay. Well, you’re right.” Then I squint at him. “But I thought…”

“That I’d be mad about it?” Kieran shakes his head. “Me too, for about half a second. But then you just looked so much more excited all of a sudden. I knew you weren’t just sparing my feelings.”

I breathe out a shaky laugh. “Yeah. Yeah, that’s about right.”

“So… now that the secret’s out, what were you actually about to ask me?” Kieran tilts his head, sliding his knee over until it touches mine.

I clear my throat sheepishly. “Whether you wanted to work… with me, or for me… help me with the festival.”

Kieran’s eyes slowly widen as he stares into space. “Ohhhh.” Then he looks back at me and starts to giggle. “Seriously? Youwere gonna try to be my boss before fucking me? How did you think that would work out?”

There it is again—the sizzle in the air, the tip of his tongue darting across his lips, the flutter in my throat, the tingle sinking into my belly and racing along my skin…

I raise my eyebrow right back at him. “Maybe that’s what you need. You tell me.”

Gotcha.

Kieran stares at me like he’s forgotten how to breathe. His lips slowly part as a blush creeps up his cheekbones, right to the tip of his nose.

Suddenly, it’s my turn to grin at him.

Kieran gulps hard, and then he finally shoves me with his elbow and giggles. “Shut up,” he giggles… but he doesn’t sit upright again, either.

Kieran sprawls against my shoulder, his chest pressing into my arm, his face just inches away as he beams up at me. So I turn my face toward his, reaching up slowly to cup his cheek in my palm.

A smile still plays around my lips as I watch him. “Oh, I won’t. That’s not what you need, is it?”

Kieran swallows, clears his throat, and then swipes a hand across his cheeks. “Yeah. Maybe not. I guess I’m… what they call a strong personality.” He glances up at me with just a touch of anxious nerves in his face.

So I let my thumb stroke gently along his jaw. When I breathe in his scent, I feel like there’s a part of my lungs I’ve just never found before, and it’s filling up with the purest oxygen I’ve ever felt.

I didn’t plan for any of this… but I know how to recognise a good thing, and I’m not going to let it pass me by.

“Come here,” I whisper.

Kieran closes his eyes, tips his chin up, and—at last—he sinks into my arms.

I lean down and press my lips against Kieran’s soft, full mouth. He tastes exactly like I imagined: warm and sweet and full of light. As our mouths and souls collide, the dance between us starts out light and gentle—but it doesn’t stay that way for long.

As Kieran folds into me, moans against my mouth, he lets me have everything I’m seeking. His vulnerability, his softness, his joy… all of it is right there, and he’s offering it to me with both hands.

I can’t believe how fucking lucky I am.

When I finally pull back, I can barely breathe. Nothing else seems to matter except Kieran—holding him, touching him, stroking the tiny hairs away from his forehead, kissing his sensitive lips with all I have…

At last, we open our eyes, watching each other through the darkening trees with the orange-streaked sky overhead.

Kieran softly giggles, reaching up to rest his palm against my chest. “Wow,” he whispers. “That’s the best first kiss I ever had.”

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