Riley anxiously fiddled with a loose thread on her shirt, her heart racing as she waited for River’s response. His intense gaze was fixed on her, his lips pressed together in an unreadable expression. She had thought it would be better to be honest about her feelings, but now she second-guessed herself.

Keeping her emotions bottled up was like a torture of its own. Ever since that unexpected kiss, she couldn’t get him out of her mind.

His touch, his scent, his voice - they all lingered in ...