Page 47 of Second Chance Alaska

“I don’t know why but suddenly it’s all I want to do,” he said, words coming a lot easier than he’d expected.

“So? Are you going to?” she asked.

“Do you want me to?” he asked.

“I’ve been waiting for you to for a few years now, so I’d say, sure, why not?” she said softly, moving closer to him. Her gaze flitted between his eyes and his lips. She licked hers and the sight nearly killed him.

When had his best friend started stirring these feelings of desire and yearning within him?

He leaned closer and his lips were just an inch from hers when her words registered. “Wait...a few years?”

She nodded and he saw her swallow hard. “I’m good at keeping secrets,” she said, and her eyes pleaded with him to make all her waiting worthwhile.

It had been a long time since he’d kissed a woman, but Oliver was determined to give it his best shot. His hands gripped her face as his mouth crushed hers. He pulled her in closer and savored the taste of her coffee-flavored lips, the soft fullness of them pressed against his. Instant desire ran through him along with a welcoming sense of relief, as though his body and his heart had been waiting for this moment, anticipating it. How long had he been subconsciously repressing this urge?

His hands slid to the back of her head, his fingers tangling in her soft, thick hair as he deepened the kiss, wanting more, needing more, completely surrendering to the moment. He wouldn’t think, just feel. Be in the moment with her right now.

Carly’s arms encircled his neck, drawing him as close as possible, and he wished the counter wasn’t between them. He wanted to sink into this passionate embrace even more—wanted to press his entire body against hers and feel every inch of her against every inch of him. He wanted to wrap his arms around her and hold her tight.

Damn, it was only a kiss, and yet his entire body stirred with a new awakening. His chest was tight as he struggled for air, but he didn’t care. He could stand there kissing her forever. This woman he’d always thought of as just a friend had him feeling things he hadn’t in so long; it felt like he was being saved from drowning, as though she were breathing new life into him with this kiss.

She teased his bottom lip with her tongue, gliding it along seductively before slipping it between his lips, making the connection even more intimate, even more real. Damn, Carly—where had she learned to kiss like this? He’d never have expected the teasing torture she was putting him through. And this wasn’t just a peck or a friendly kiss that they could forget about. This meant something.

For both of them.

Not breaking the contact with his mouth, Carly climbed onto the counter, and kneeling on it, she moved her body closer to him. He gripped her waist, steadying her so she wouldn’t fall and bringing her body closer. Her breasts pressed against his chest and her hips rested against his as she tilted her head and deepened the kiss even more. Her hands fisted his hair, holding him in place as though fearful this might be their one and only kiss and she was desperate to make it last.

He held her tight and all other thoughts vanished except for how to please her, give her what she wanted, what she deserved, what she’d waited for—that part still blew his mind.

Reluctantly, he broke away a moment later and, out of breath, he rested his head against hers. “A few years, huh?”

“It was definitely worth the wait,” she whispered against his lips, kissing him again softly.

Oliver’s heart felt nothing but a deep sense of peace, the conflict he’d been fighting seeming to have melted away with her kiss, with her acceptance, with the knowledge that they were both feeling this strong connection that surpassed friendship but had a strong foundation in their platonic love for one another. But he needed to know for sure... “What’s happening between us?” he asked.

“I’m not sure, but I know I want it to happen again,” she said, staring into his eyes with an expression he’d never seen before. One that had his heart racing. “Over and over.”

He nodded, happy they were on the same wavelength. “Over and over.” He could definitely oblige that request.

IFSHEWASstill asleep, having slept through her alarm after an all-nighter writing session, Carly did not want to wake up. But the taste of Oliver’s kiss still lingering on her lips told her the moment had happened; it had been real. Just seconds ago, she’d been kissing her best friend, the secret love of her life, and she’d let go of all inhibitions and uncertainty and just been in the moment.

One she’d waited forever for and one that hadn’t disappointed.

Oliver was a fantastic kisser—gentle yet passionate. He’d delivered just the right amount of strength and dominance to be sexy, but just enough retreat to let her take control as well. It was as though they’d been kissing one another for a lifetime. It had felt right. And the best part was, he seemed ready to take this leap with her.

She’d felt things shifting between them lately and she knew Sebastian may have been the catalyst, opening Oliver’s eyes to what he wanted, what he wasn’t prepared to lose out of fear and uncertainty, but the kiss had taken things to a whole new level. It wasn’t the kiss of a man afraid of losing his best friend; it was the kiss of a man prepared to fight for what he wanted.

He wouldn’t have to fight too hard. Carly had long ago surrendered to her feelings for Oliver Klein.

He’d reluctantly left her for a tour group arriving at the lighthouse, but her phone chimed with a text as she counted and recounted (getting lost in distraction) the float in the cash register. She picked it up and smiled as she read:

No regrets?

None. You?she texted back.

Only that I had to leave.

Carly’s heart filled with hope as she hugged the phone to her chest and a tiny squeal of excitement escaped her. This was what she’d been longing for and now the opportunity to take the relationship to another level was within her grasp.

---