Merlina wasn't sure who moved first, maybe him, maybe her…but the moment their eyes locked, the gap closed without warning.
Their lips collided. Instantly.
There was no hesitation this time, no soft build-up or gentle test, just mouths crashing together in a rush that blurred reason.
A shiver ran through her the second their mouths met, but she didn't pull back. Neither did he. It was like every heated glance, every loaded silence, every buried lie had been dragging them to this wild, reckless moment.
Her fingers tangled in the front of his shirt, pulling him closer as if she could somehow anchor herself in the chaos of desire.
Craig's hand cupped her cheek, warm and steady, before sliding down her neck, deepening the kiss with a hunger that seared through her skin and set her pulse racing. His lips crushed hers, demanding, claiming — raw and desperate, like he was trying to swallow every doubt and fear between them.
He tasted like trouble.
