Page 23 of Knot Your Sunshine
My feet move without permission. I settle beside him, hyperaware of the fire's heat in front of me and the warmth radiating from his body on my right. And his scent... God, his scent. Like the Josh and Keanu, it's muffled somehow, wrapped in cotton, but the woodsy notes that break through make my omega want to jump him and sniff him for more.
"The—the water," I manage, forcing myself to focus on something else. "It's incredible."
"Bioluminescent plankton," he says, watching the glowing ocean before us pulsing with otherworldly light. "They only light up like this a few times a year. You picked a good night to wander."
"Do you come here often?"
His fingers absently pluck a quiet melody. "When I need to think. The world gets noisy sometimes."
"What kind of noise?"
The melody falters for just a moment. "Expectations. Responsibilities." He shrugs, the movement bringing him slightly closer. "Out here, it's just the ocean and the music."
I watch his profile in the firelight, the strong line of his jaw, how his fingerscaressthe ukulele strings with practiced ease…
"That song you were playing. It was beautiful."
"Thank you." His thumb brushes across the strings, coaxing out a whisper of sound that makes my skin prickle. "Music describes things words can't."
"What was it describing?"
He turns to look at me fully, and the intensity in his gaze steals my breath. "Longing."
The word hangs between us, heavy with meaning. A wave crashes nearby, sending up a spray of blue sparkles. The fire pops, releasing embers that spiral upward like tiny phoenixes.
"Would you..." I wet my suddenly dry lips. "Would you play something else?"
He studies me for a long moment, something shifting in his expression. Then he positions his fingers on the frets. This melody is different, slower, dreamier. It winds around us, each note seeming to pull me closer. The firelight dances across his hands as they move, confident and sure.
I find myself swaying slightly, hypnotized by the combination of music and lights.
When the last note fades, neither of us moves. The air between us feels charged, like the moment before lightning strikes.
He sets the ukulele carefully aside and turns to face me fully. The firelight catches something on my cheek, making him lean closer.
"You have bioluminescent water on your face," he murmurs. His hand lifts slowly, giving me every chance to pull away.
I don't.
His thumb brushes across my cheekbone, wiping away the glowing droplet, but his hand doesn't leave. It cups my face, and I lean into the touch without thinking.
"Noa," he says quietly, like he's sharing a secret.
"What?"
"My name. It's Noa."
"Mia," I whisper back.
"Mia." He savors my name like expensive wine, letting it roll off his tongue. Where Keanu was playful with it, Noa makes it sound like a prayer.
His other hand comes up to frame my face, and I'm the one who leans in first, drawn by something stronger than logic. Our lips meet, soft, questioning. He lets me lead for a moment before responding, one hand sliding into my hair while the other traces down to rest at my throat, feeling my racing pulse.
The kiss deepens. His tongue traces the seam of my lips, and I open for him with a sigh. He tastes like mint and something darker, richer. The hand in my hair tightens just enough to tilt my head, changing the angle, and suddenly the kiss isn't gentle anymore.
It's hungry. Desperate.
He pulls me closer until I'm practically in his lap, my hands fisted in his shirt. His mouth leaves mine to trail along my jaw, and I gasp when his teeth graze the sensitive spot where my neck meets my shoulder.
