It Started With a Kiss (Insta-Spark)

What an experience.

I’d been kissed, but never the way Daniel kissed. I had never experienced anything like the fire that erupted when his lips were touching mine. I never wanted a man the way I wanted him. The way I reacted to him now, I could only imagine the inferno we’d feel when we made love. Just the thought made me shudder with anticipation.

I had never felt this sense of rightness when it came to being with another person. I had never experienced a yearning to care for someone and have him care for me in return. Talking and getting to know him better, had only cemented my feelings further. Our likes and goals were similar—it was as if we were part of the other person. I knew I wanted to be the one Daniel turned to in his times of need. I wanted to know he’d catch me when I needed him.

In the blink of a moment, I saw an entire life with Daniel. It felt as easy as breathing. I saw our future: evenings like this cuddling on the sofa, weekends exploring the world around us. Nights spent in his arms. I saw it all with him: children and pets; laughter and loving, even tears and heartaches.

I kept stroking his head. Common sense told me I was being ridiculous—there was no way I could possibly feel all this, having only met him today.

But I did.

And by every indication, so did Daniel.

I should be scared and wary of how he made me feel.

Yet, I wasn’t.

Instead, I felt whole.

I didn’t want to lose that feeling.

Daniel shifted, his body curling into mine, as if he knew what I was thinking.

I held him close, hoping in his sleep, he knew I was there.

Tender kisses woke me.

Daniel’s voice was a gentle hum in my ear. “Come to bed, Sprite.”

Confused, I looked up at him, then over to the clock. It was past two in the morning. “I have to go home!”

He shook his head. “It’s late. I don’t want you driving.” He kneeled in front of me, tucking my hair behind my ear. “Some date I was—falling asleep on your lap.”

“You were tired—it’s fine. Besides, I liked it.”

“I did, too. Stay, please, Avery.”

When I hesitated, he wrapped his hands around mine. “Nothing will happen, I promise. I’ll even sleep on the sofa. I need to know you’re safe. Please.”

“You don’t have to sleep on the sofa. I trust you.”

He scooped me up in his arms, carrying me down the hall. I snuggled into his chest, loving how it felt to be near him.

His lips brushed over my head. “You better keep the sweater on,” he muttered. “Otherwise, I’m not sure I can be trusted.”

“For tonight.” I agreed.

“Yeah. For tonight.”

Daniel

Waking up with Avery tucked beside me was an incredible experience. She had barely moved all night, despite the fact I slipped in and out of bed to check on Lucy, who was steadily improving. Every time I came back to bed, Avery curled into me with a sigh of contentment. Holding her close, I felt the same way. Content. Happy. Complete.

Looking down at her, I was in awe. The very second I had touched her something inside my chest had relaxed. I’d never experienced a reaction like that in my life. Somehow, in the short span of time since then, it had grown—exponentially.

When I returned to the clinic the previous afternoon, I couldn’t stop thinking about her. Images of her in my kitchen, making dinner for us kept floating through my head, distracting me. Recalling the feel of her mouth underneath mine, the way she felt in my arms made my body tighten. I wanted to feel her close again—taste her sweet lips and feel her body mold itself to me. It hit me when I sat at my desk that I had left a stranger in my home. Someone I didn’t know at all, apart from her name. Except, somehow I knew I could trust her—totally. Still, my behavior was out of character for me. I was the steady one—Caitlin was the impetuous one.

I scrubbed my face wondering what I was thinking.