“Her fingers dug into the doorframe she leaned on, hoping and praying that he would just step out of the shadows and kiss her the way he had done so often in her dreams.”

“William strode to her. That’s how it’s done. Drink it in.She surveyed the carnage behind him. “Did you have fun?”He showed her his teeth. “Yes. Now they won’t take you anywhere.”Cerise stepped closer to him, so close he only needed to lean in and dip his head and he would kiss her. Since he saved her, maybe he could just grab her and—“That was the stupidest thing you have done since I’ve met you,” she ground out through her teeth.Belay the grabbing.”

“Livia located her fancy jacket and stepped out of the closet. Blake took the coat from her and held it out in an old-fashioned ritual only he could get away with. He moved Livia’s hair out of the way and kissed her neck as he buttoned each of her buttons from behind her. He skimmed parts of her she wished he would linger on. She turned her head to claim his lips.They kissed until he stepped back and shook his head, as if to clear it. “I can only take so much of that with your bed so close.”

“He reached out, capturing her hand in his. He laced his fingers casually through hers.Violet leaned against him and the calm finally came, settling over her peacefully.And then he kissed her. Gently. Softly. Not on the lips, as she'd imagined so many times before, but on her forehead.The gesture was sweet and a little possessive.Violet hoped, maybe, it was a start.”

“She savored their conversation, and often, when doing her chores, she remembered the words he said to her and how hopeful he was that she might kiss him again. Now she wished she had. because one kiss is not enough.”

“Lying in their field above the sea, watching the sun go down and the darkness creep over the field so that they were wrapped together in shadow. Will propped himself on one elbow beside her, is finger curling strands of her dark hair until it was bound so tight it pulled her scalp and she cried out, and then he bent over her, kissed her, so,so tenderly, and she thought she would die with happiness. They had made love, the very first time.”