Page 64 of Midnight Ink

“Then do it, Ian.”

Our lips collide. Slow. Careful. His mouth warm and testing. They’re softer than I could even dream. It feels so good. A groan slips past my lips and something snaps in him. Our clubs drop as I dive in, twisting my fingers into his shirt.

His lips part, his thumb drags along my jaw. I gasp and he takes advantage of it, deepening the kiss enough to make my knees go weak.

He presses me back against the glowing wall without thinking.

“Fuck, Jules,” I breathe.

His hands slide down my sides then grip tight under my knees, and suddenly I’m lifted, back flat against the wall. My legs wrap around him. “Killing me,” he murmurs against my mouth.

My fingers dig into his shoulders. I can feel how much he wants this. I can feel how hard he’s holding back. “Fuck, Jules.” He’s an amazing kisser.

He pulls back a little, dark eyes warming into mine. “Ian⁠—”

Then the door opens.

He freezes, swearing, then sets me down. “Sorry,” he whispers, forehead resting briefly against mine before he pulls away.

Two kids rush into the room, laughing, oblivious to my shaking hands and shakier breath. Julian picks up his putter and gives me a smirk.

My face burns, my heart pounds. My body still hums from where his hands touched. That kiss. I can’t think about anything other than taking this back to our room and finishing what we started.

“Guess we’re finished.” He smiles apologetically.

I nod, although nothing about this feels finished.

FOURTEEN

JULIAN

“The sun feels good.”

Ian leans back, and his eyes flick to mine. They’re this bluish green that reminds me of a lake. Darker than the ocean in front of us with this green hue to them. After golfing we found a place to eat down here by the pier. Now my legs swing as we sit on the boardwalk, and while the ocean in front is beautiful, I only see him. It’s hot, the sun beating down on us both, and he took his shirt off when we came to sit down here.

With no shirt on, those tattoos form a map for my tongue.

I’ve never felt like this, and I need to know he feels a little of it too. Last night I was afraid to trust it, but our kiss at the golf course hasn’t left my mind. His lips, tongue, the way his body molded to mine.

It felt like I’ve always thought it would.

I just want to know where his head is at. Was he trying to take a step in moving on, or was it real? Did he really want to kiss me? Or was it just part of his plan to help him move on? I know what he said, but sometimes I don’t even think Ian knows what he wants.

I’ve danced around this feeling for years now, and until this trip I thought I was dancing solo, but I think maybe Ian’s been dancing with me. Only, instead of dancing around this boundary, he’s dancing around his grief. “Talk to me. Help me understand.”

I can see the war play out in his mind behind those eyes. “Every time I hear his name it’s like this knife cuts a little deeper. Like it’s punctured my lung and I can’t breathe. I don’t know.”

I slide my fingers into his and squeeze. The water laps softly against the pier. It smells like sunshine and salt out here. The air feels different than in New York.

“How did you two meet?”

A smile springs to his lips. “I was drawing at a diner. I was just getting coffee, and I think I was irritating my waitress.” He looks at me with a grin. “Now I know I was definitely irritating her, but I also kind of love her.”

“Anna?”

He nods. “My mom had this boyfriend. He was awful, but since my dad died, she was a little lost. I didn’t want to give her too much shit about it. I left while they were fighting. I was just drawing, and all of a sudden this boy drops into the seat in front of me. Black curly hair, greenish brown eyes with this spark in them that I knew meant trouble. He grinned at me and fuck, I was gone then. He was such a shit starter.” He laughs. “He asked me if I wanted a tattoo. Anna came over and showed me the ones he’d done. That crane she has . . . that was one of his first.”

“Are you serious?”