Page 19 of When Love And Destiny Collide

Chapter 5

Noah

"Noah, Lily is family," Jon's words echo in my ears, but I ignore them. Instead, I lose myself in the intoxicating sweetness of her lips and the softness of her body, kissing her with a passion that makes her melt in my arms. Surrendering to this moment, I gently massage the nape of her neck and deepen the kiss until she releases a soft moan that makes my heart soarandbreak all at once because I know this can never happen again. I wish I could kiss her all night, but I reluctantly pull away and wait for her to open her eyes. When she does, her gaze is as beautiful as it is trusting, those sapphire blue eyes seemingly reaching into the depths of my soul.

"Kiss me again," she says breathlessly.

When I wrap my hands around her shoulders and gently push her back, her eyes fill with confusion and hurt, and it tears at my heart.

"What's wrong?" she asks.

"Nothing is wrong, Sweetheart."

"You're lying," she says, searching my face. "You think this was a mistake."

"Kissing you could never be a mistake," I say softly.

"Don't patronize me, Noah," she whispers, looking directly at me, one eyebrow raised. "I might be young, but I'm not stupid. Just be honest."

"I'm a forty-year-old man, divorced, with a child. You're a gorgeous twenty-three-year-old with your whole life ahead of you."

"So you're using your perceived baggage against me?"

"My son is not baggage," I say—a tinge of defensiveness in my voice.

"Exactly!" she exclaims. "Neither is your age or your past."

"You're a close friend of my family. My brother and his wife see you like a daughter."

"What does that have to do with this?" she asks calmly. "You know what? Nevermind. I should've gone to Florida with the rest of the family."

"I'm glad you're here," I say, desperate to fix this.

"I stayed here to meet you and Davey. I spent over a month preparing this house, wanting everything to be perfect for your arrival."

"It is perfect," I say, stepping closer. "Everything you've done is perfect. You’re perfect."

"But not perfect for you. That's what you mean."

My silence is all the confirmation she needs.

"Goodnight, Noah. I'll see you in the morning."

Every fiber in my body screams for me to stop her from leaving, but I don't listen. I let her walk out the door, and as God is my witness, my heart goes with her.

***

After a sleepless night and after my third cup of coffee in two hours, I realize caffeine won't chase away my foul mood. A knock on the door interrupts my brooding thoughts.

As I open the door, I brace myself for the inevitable—a heated confrontation with Lily. But her greeting catches me off guard. "Good morning!" she says cheerfully. I was expecting a tongue-lashing at the very least and the silent treatment at the worst. Instead, she disarms me with a warm smile.

"Good morning," I reply cautiously.

"You look like hell," she says with a smile.

"Excuse me?" I retort, my tone edged with irritation.

"You must have had a long night," she continues, her smile unwavering. "You haven't had your coffee yet?"

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