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Silence reigned again until she spoke. "How long has it been since you kissed a woman romantically?"
He let out a low whistle as he thought about it. "Years. Maybe ten? You?"
"Years. Maybe seven." She started laughing. "Dear heavens, Jacob. If someone could hear us right now, they'd think we're the biggest messes in the entire world. Between the two of us, we have seventeen years of no physical intimacy. Wow."
Heat simmered in his gut, and he met her gaze. When neither of them looked away, he spoke. "Maybe we should fix that."
She took a breath. "Gotta get back on the horse at some point, or you never ride again."
He slowly stood up. "Riding is life."
She scrambled to her feet. "Riding is adrenaline."
"You ride?" He walked across the porch toward her.
"I used to. Yes. I love to ride." She stood still in the grass, her bare feet hidden by the blades.
"My soul aches when I don't ride. You guys want to ride with me tomorrow?" He neared her and stopped just in front of her.
"Yes," she whispered, her face raised to him. "I don't think Annie has ever ridden before."
"She'll ride with me. I'll keep her safe." His heart was racing now. Phoebe was so close. Not backing away. His need to kiss her was burning like wildfire through his veins. "I want to kiss you so fucking much."
"Do it."
"What if I do it, and it's hell?"
She burst out laughing so hard that she had to put her hand on his chest to keep her balance. "Oh, God, that's one of the funniest things I've ever heard. Thank you for that. All the tension is gone."
He didn't laugh. "I meant it."
"I know you did." She beamed up at him. "That's what was priceless. Kissing me won't be hell. There's literally no chance of it. Do you want me to kiss you, then? I feel confident that my soul won't be incinerated by demon fire if I do."
He was too tense to laugh at her joke.
Her smile faded, and her touch softened on his chest. "It's okay, Jacob. Will you trust me?"
He nodded.
"Close your eyes."
"Gotta watch for the enemy."
"For one moment. That's all."
He scanned their environment carefully, checking every sight and sound before returning his gaze to her. "Okay."
She smiled, then put her hands on his cheeks and rose onto her tiptoes. "Come to me, you big lug."
His heart was racing, but he let her bring him down to her. He kept his gaze on the twinkle in her eye, the sparkle in her smile, letting her delight chase away the tension trying to grip him.
Phoebe leaned in, and he closed his eyes, dropping his shields a split second before she kissed him.
The moment her mouth touched his, everything inside him shattered. All the noise. All the tension. A lifetime of pain and control and cold. It just exploded in a violent cascade of emotion and sensation.
She pulled back quickly, her hand still on his face, her gaze searching his. "You okay?"
He was wordless. His whole life, he'd thought there was something wrong with him because he didn't want to be touched, because he didn't like being intimate, because it made him feel trapped and restless and out of control.
