Something fierce flickered in his eyes, and before she could breathe again, his mouth was on hers—demanding, consuming, pulling her against him with a hunger that erased every inch of distance. Clara gasped into the kiss, her hands clutching his jacket as though afraid the world itself might tilt and take him from her.
Nicholas pressed her back against the railing, the boat swaying gently beneath them, his body caging hers in. His kiss was fire, his touch relentless, every brush of his lips a vow, every stroke of his hands a claim. She melted into him, her skin sparking wherever he touched, the cool night air swallowed by the heat radiating between them.
“Clara…” he groaned against her mouth, his forehead dropping to hers. His breath came rough, uneven. “You undo me.”
Her fingers slid b
