Page 90 of The Secret to a Southern Wedding

He leaned forward. She took a step back but bumped into the wall. “They’ll understand,” he said.

“Or they won’t, and we’ll be selfish.”

“Don’t you want to be selfish.” His voice lowered, and he leaned in close. “Haven’t we both held back for our parents enough?”

Imani’s heart pounded and she sucked in a breath. She was doing what was right. Continuing to see Cyril wasn’t going to help anything. But what if she just indulged before she went back? Would she really be wrong to have one more taste of him?

She shook her head. “We can’t.”

He closed his eyes and pressed his forehead against hers. “I know, but for once in my life I really want to be selfish.”

So did she. She lifted her head. Their lips brushed. Cyril’s shuddering breath caressed her lips. She let go and leaned in. Their lips met in a kiss that started hesitantly then quickly turned passionate. Cyril clutched her against him as if he couldn’t bear to let her go. She submitted herself to his kiss. Opening her lips and letting him in. Letting go, for the moment, the reasons why she shouldn’t be doing this and reveling in the feelings she’d suppressed.

He pressed her back against the rough bricks of the building. Her breasts cushioned the solid weight of his chest. The sounds of voices of the people at the festival trailed into the alleyway. They hadn’t gone very far. Anyone could see them if they bothered to look into the shadows. Knowing that only made her cling tighter to him. The rush of doing what she wanted mingled with the fear of someone seeing and snatching the moment away.

Her hands roamed over his back, up to his shoulders and cupped the sides of his face. Cyril broke the kiss. His breath was ragged, and he pressed his forehead against hers.

“Meet me later tonight,” he said in a rough voice.

“Meet you? Where?” There weren’t many places where they could meet. She was with her mom, and he lived with his dad.

“At Tracey’s bed-and-breakfast.”

“Why?”

“Because I want to see you again. I need to see you again.”

The longing in his voice tugged and pulled at her heart. “I’m leaving tomorrow.”

He lifted his head and stared down into her eyes. “Please, come see me before you go.”

Imani held his gaze. She couldn’t say the words she should say. All she could do was push aside all the reasons why she shouldn’t. Once she went back home, they would never get another chance. She wouldn’t return to Peachtree Cove for at least another year, maybe two. If she did return to Peachtree Cove, he might have moved on and found someone else. If her mom decided to stay in Florida, the next time she was in town would be even longer. She might never get the chance back to be with him.

Swallowing hard, she nodded.

thirty-five

Cyril begged Joshua to watch the bar with a few of their part-timers so he could leave early. Despite the huge crowd in there from the festival, Joshua was a true friend and told Cyril to dip out before ten. He texted Imani to see if she was still willing to see him and his knees nearly buckled with joy when she texted back that she was in the carriage house behind Tracey’s bed-and-breakfast.

He drove straight there. Lights reflected behind the lacy curtains in the window of the small yellow house. His heart hammered and his palms sweated despite the cool night air as he made his way to the door. He was asking for too much. Wanting too much, but he couldn’t help it. Seeing and kissing her earlier that day had scrambled his brain. She was leaving the next day. Who knew when he’d get the chance to see her again? He couldn’t let her go without at least trying to convince her to give him a chance.

Imani answered quickly after he knocked. She’d changed out of the volunteer T-shirt from earlier and put on a light sweater with leggings. Her hair looked messy, as if she’d run her fingers through it several times and her face was clear of makeup. She was beautiful.

Imani reached for his arm and pulled him inside. “Hurry up before someone sees you.”

“There’s no one out there.”

“Well, there was no one on Main Street that night either until there was.”

He nodded. “I can’t argue with that.”

She closed the door behind him. The space was split in two and separated by a wall with a fireplace. To the right was a bed, two accent chairs and a television, and to the left was a large soaking tub and bathroom. He turned and faced Imani and was very aware they were alone in a bedroom.

She cleared her throat and pointed to the bag in his hand. “What’s that?”

“Oh, it’s for you.” He held out the small brown gift bag.

“What is it?”