Noah stared at her for a long moment. Juliette searched his eyes, the pain and the confusion she saw reflected in their depths made her heart skip a beat. She didn’t understand how he’d decided to cling to the negative when he was surrounded by so much positive. He had Renee, his family, his friends, his health, he lived in this beautiful town. How could he not go to bed each night and count his blessings? Even though he’d been through a hideous experience didn’t he see how lucky he was to have loved someone so much in the first place?

“I want to kiss you.”

His words, which tumbled in a low growl from his lips, stunned Juliette. She could see by the way his eyes rounded that he’d surprised himself as well. Her mouth dropped open, and she tried to think of something to say.

Did she want him to kiss her? Yes. Definitely yes.

Did she think kissing him was a good idea? Probably not.

But maybe, she could chase the sadness from his eyes, maybe she could remind him that life was still meant to be lived.

“Okay.”

Juliette’s arms came up to circle his shoulders, her fingers sliding into his hair as she tilted her head back, welcoming his mouth to hers. His lips were full and warm, and they slanted against hers. She could taste beer and mint, and as his tongue lightly traced her bottom lip she shivered. His arms came around her, lifting her to the tips of her toes as he deepened the kiss, sliding his mouth across hers and drawing her tongue tentatively into a wanton dance with his. A small sound escaped her, like a contented sigh, and she felt his arms tighten around her, drawing her closer.

He nipped and sucked at her lips, his tongue invading her mouth, and Juliette lost herself in the deliciousness of their kiss. She was in heaven, and wanted nothing more than to make this moment last for a long, long time.

When the kiss broke, they remained close. Juliette struggled to catch her breath, smiling a little when she realized Noah did the same.

“I’d better go inside,” she said after a long moment.

He nodded, but his arms didn’t release her. “Okay.”

She smiled against his mouth, and he lowered her to her feet, drawing back to meet her eyes. The slightest color graced her cheeks, and the pulse in her throat still raced. She didn’t think she’d ever been kissed in a way that left her slightly dizzy before.

“I’ll see you later,” she said, moving past him, wanting to put some space between them so she could gather her thoughts. “Thank you for tonight.”

He watched, only bothering to reply when she climbed the front steps. “Thank you, Juliette