Page 62 of An Enchanted Moment on Ever After Street
His nose presses just under my eye and his lips graze against my cheek again, and I want nothing more than to grab him and haul him into a proper kiss, but this isn’t easy for Darcy. There are tremors going through him, and his hand tightens on my hip, his forehead resting against my hair, every shallow breath against my skin making goosebumps rise at the back of my neck,and his lightly stubbled chin tingles against my skin every time his mouth moves.
I could happily sit here for the rest of my life, cuddled up in his arms, swathed in semi-darkness, very far away from the real world. It’s his right hand that’s on my hip, and without opening my eyes or turning around, I lift it up and gradually pull off the glove that’s covering it, and bring it carefully to my mouth until I can touch my lips to his scarred skin.
He shivers but he doesn’t pull away. Instead, he kisses my cheek again, our faces sort of resting against each other’s, and I hold that hand between both of mine, hoping that actions speak louder than words. I cantellDarcy that his scars don’t matter, but this is the first time I’ve had a chance toshowhim.
There’s silence between us, long and comfortable. His lips touch my cheek every so often, and I keep lifting his hand and kissing the scars covering the back of it, but all this moment is really about is enjoying the closeness, ensconced in our little corner of the castle, surrounded by the peppery, earthy scent of his aftershave, cocooned by the hammering rain, just being together in a way I never dreamed we would.
‘Can I ask you something?’ It feels like I’ve just woken up when I finally make myself speak.
‘Mmm.’ He sounds like he’s in a daydream too, distant and tranquil, and definitely not ready for the moment to end.
‘What do you think would happen if I opened my eyes right now?’ I squeeze his hand again.
‘Absolutely nothing. I think you’d look at me, touch my scars, say they aren’t that bad and they don’t make any difference to how you see me…’
‘Then why do you keep pushing me away? Metaphorically,’ I add when his arms tighten around me, physically holding me closer. ‘There’s a whole castle full of people out there who would love to get to know you. A whole street full of friends andcustomers, and you keep all of them at a distance much further than arm’s length because you’ve convinced yourself that you know what will happen if they ever see you.’
‘I do—’
‘It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy, you idiot,’ I say fondly. ‘When you refuse to let anyone in, you become lonely. When you withdraw from the world, you become withdrawn. When you tell yourself you’re a monster—’
‘You become one?’ he finishes for me.
‘No.’ I give his leg a gentle smack. ‘You become convinced that other people will see you like that too. Kindness makes you beautiful, Darcy. Your kindness, your thoughtfulness, and your cracking sense of humour make you the most beautiful man I’ve ever met. There isnothingthat can change that.’
He nuzzles against my jaw, and it feels like an invitation, because this chaste cheek kissing thing is nowhere near enough. I move my hand back gently, letting my fingers run up his arm as I lift my arm over his head until it rests around his shoulder and my body has turned to face his. Every movement is slow, giving him time to object if he wants to, even though the way his fingers curl into my thigh suggests hedefinitelydoesn’t want to.
He makes a wanton noise as my fingers reach around blindly until they find his hair, and I run them through thick, straight strands that start curling at the back of his neck where it gets long.
My other hand comes up and touches his jaw, and my fingertips feel the uneven bumpiness of scar tissue, and my thumb rubs across the deep dip of a scar in his stubbled chin. It’s barely the whisper of a touch and every single breath sends a fire of anticipation racing through my veins. My heart is hammering and my pulse is thundering in my ears. I didn’t realise how desperately I want to kiss him until this moment.
One of his arms is still around me and the other is trailing up and down my back, making me gasp every time he skims the bare skin of my shoulder blades, and my thumb presses into his jaw, turning his head towards me.
It feels likeeverythinghas been building up to this moment.
My eyes are closed and we’re guided by touch alone. I lean my forehead against his and let my nose rub against his and he lifts his head to return the gesture, so close I canfeelthe smile I’ve only been able to hear before tonight.
His hand gets higher, cradling my head, leaving me with no doubt that he’s about to pull my mouth to his and my hands tighten in his smooth hair as a sizzle overtakes my entire body.
It’s like the world explodes when our lips finally touch. I’ve never felt fireworks before, but tonight it’s like the fifth of November all over again.
Nothing has ever felt so right or beensoworth waiting for.
In my head, I’m screaming at myself.For the love of books, open your eyes. You’re kissing a man you’ve never even looked at, but something stops me. He’s trusted me enough to getthisclose. Maybe one day he’ll trust me enough to let me see every scar he’s hiding, but until that day, nothing matters more than this gorgeous man trusting me enough to take that final branch out of the metaphorical hedge that protects him.
It turns into a clawing, desperate kiss. His hand in my hair sends rose clips skittering across the floor, and my fingers trace across his ear lobes, my thumb brushing his jaw, tongues tangling with intensity. It’s impossible to kiss himenoughor hold him tight enough, and it feels sorightthat it’s overwhelming. It’s a kiss that feels so good that it makes me want to cry right into it. Partly because of how good it feels and partly because of how much it means that Darcy has let things come this far.
I can feel how much he’s struggling to keep his emotions under control, because I am too. There’s never been a kiss that felt this special. I’ve never felt such a strong surge of love for someone before.
The emotions overwhelm him and he pulls back, panting. He ducks his head against my shoulder, but I stick to my word. I keep my eyes closed. My hand is still in his hair and I move it again, following it until I can press my lips against his forehead, kind of missing and kissing his hairline instead, but it doesn’t matter. Touching him somewhere,anywhere, is the only important thing.
And then he speaks. Just one word that takes him alotto build up to saying. ‘Okay.’
‘Really?’ I tighten my hands on him.
‘I can’t do this any more. It’s not worth it. Iampushing you away, and we’ve reached the point where I have to choose between losing you and trusting you, and Ican’tlose you. Open your eyes.’
NowI’mcrying. I rest my forehead against his and press my nose against the side of his face until my lips find his cheek and a shiver goes through him, his hand on my lower back sending one through me too. A tingly, fizzy shiver, and a sense of relief. This is it. Finally. In just one second. One blink.
