From This Moment

his skin. My eyes lock with his.

“I want nothing more than to be the one to show you around and spend time with you, but I’m forty-five—too old for you. Jake is only a year older than you are.” Taking a deep breath, he continues, “I’ve never reacted to anyone the way I react to you, and I need to get over it because anything between us is impossible.”

At this comment, I feel my heart breaking. What he’s just said seems to sadden him, and it brings tears to my eyes. I move slightly away, hoping he doesn’t see my reaction. But, unfortunately, he does.

“Hey, don’t cry.”

I’m being ridiculous. We’ve only just met, for goodness’ sake.

I turn to walk away, but he catches hold of my arm and brings me back to him with my spine against his chest.

Once there, he inhales slowly and turns me around to face him. He lifts his hands to my face and uses his thumbs to wipe my tears away before looking straight into my eyes. “If you think for one minute that seeing you go off with Jake everyday is going to be easy for me, then think again. I doubt anything is going to be the same again for me after meeting you.”

Cade is still holding my face. During our conversation, he’s gotten so close, we are now chest-to-chest and hidden from view by the alcove. My breathing has become slightly labored, and so has Cade’s. I find myself wanting just one taste of him.

“Kiss me.” I stare at him as my mind screams this is crazy. I don’t care, my body knows what it needs, and I’m letting it have its way. “At least put your tongue inside . . .” Before I can finish his lips meet mine with such force, I don’t think I’ll ever recover. As he starts kissing me, I’m not sure who moves in first. I’m pressed close to him with my back against the wall and one of my legs wrapped around his.

His mouth on mine sends tingles all the way through to my core. My arms twine around his neck as my hands go to his nape and I run my fingers through his hair. He tastes all male and smells so good. I never want this kiss to end. My nipples are hard tips digging into his chest as our tongues continue to duel.

Cade

Heaven help me, when she said to me ‘at least put your tongue inside’ I added the silent me, which she didn’t get out because I just lost it with my need to taste her.

Our lips meet. She opens her mouth to me and allows my tongue to slip inside like she asks. Our tongues fuse, and I never want to come up for air.

She tastes like coffee and chocolate. With our mouths still locked together, she wraps her arms around me, running her fingers through the hair at the nape of my neck, sending shivers straight through me to my cock.

Holding her in my arms, I move her back toward the wall for support. She wraps her leg around me and starts to rub herself against my erection. I’m in heaven and nearly come like a teenager on his first outing with a girl. She feels so good and right in my arms. I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to let her go, which I know I have to do, but I’m not about to stop this kiss, at least not yet.

She pulls her mouth from mine for much-needed air, but I find it impossible to stop tasting her. Laying tiny kisses along her mouth, I move down to her neck, her collarbone, then back up to her ear. I bite down, slightly. She shivers.

Moving back to kiss her mouth, I put my hand up under her tee shirt and slowly move up to her breasts. Teasing her nipple with my fingers through her thin bra, I feel it tighten even more. With my other hand, I take hold of her butt to align her better with my erection.

She tastes so good and is so responsive to my touch that I can feel her humming with need—driving me crazy.

Fuck! What the hell am I doing? She’s young enough to be my daughter and I have my hand on her breast as she’s grinding against me. Anyone can see us. Fuck! Fuck!

Breaking from the kiss and trying to catch my breath, I reluctantly pull my hand from her shirt. Taking hold of her hips, I move her gently away from my throbbing erection. “We need to stop.” I kiss her softly on her lips. “I don’t want to, but this isn’t right.”

Not wanting to let her go completely, I pull her into me.

Rona

I rest my head on Cade’s shoulder as he continues to stroke my back. How the hell am I going to walk away from this guy? I heard what he said about the age difference, which I guess is a major problem, and I don’t see a way around it. As our hearts begin to calm, I pull away slightly from Cade and look up with my arms still around him.

“Are you okay?” he asks me with such a tender smile on his face.

“I don’t think I’ll ever be okay again, unless I’m in your arms.” The words surprise me, considering we’ve only just met, but I’ve felt a connection to Cade since the moment my eyes met his back in Starbucks.

He tightens his hold on me and leaning forward, his lips meet my forehead. Placing a small kiss there, he rests his forehead against mine while gazing into my eyes.

“Please don’t say that. You have to find a younger guy to be with, although it will kill me. This closeness between us can never happen again. I can’t believe it happened. You taste and smell so good. I just can’t stop touching you. But I need to find the strength to keep my hands to myself.”

I rest against his chest and hold on as tightly as he’s holding me. I give him a squeeze and take a deep breath for strength before I pull away slightly. I look up and meet his green eyes as he gazes down at me with longing so clear in them. He leans down and caresses my lips with a really tender kiss.

Hearing Jake shout, “Dad,” we reluctantly step apart.

Chapter 2