As we drove back to the castle, I couldn't help but replay the scene on the hill in my mind. What the heck was I thinking? Was I really about to kiss Ciara? No, I couldn't let that happen again.
The whole situation was insane. The gentle hum of the car's engine was the only sound, punctuated by the occasional rustle of leaves as we passed through the forested path leading to the castle. My hands greeped the car seat tightly, knuckles white from the tension coursing through me.
I felt like I was losing my mind. But that moment had been so intense, so undeniably sexy. Ciara looked so... amazing. I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts, but they kept drifting back to how close we had been, how my heart had raced in those final seconds before the bird interrupted us.
The memory of her breath, warm and sweet against my skin, made my pulse quicken all over again. I could still feel the ghost of her presence, the heat of her body so close to mine.