Chapter 104

Olivia POV

We sat in silence for a few minutes, watching the stars. His proximity was distracting; I could smell his cologne mixed with the saltwater scent still clinging to his skin from our earlier swim.

“What’s that one?” I asked, pointing to a particularly bright star.

Alexander followed my gesture. “That’s Venus, actually. A planet, not a star.”

“The goddess of love,” I murmured without thinking.

“And beauty,” he added, his voice dropping lower. “Appropriate tonight.”

I turned to find his eyes on me instead of the sky, dark and intent in the dim light. My breath caught in my throat as his gaze dropped to my lips.

“Alex,” I whispered, not even sure what I was trying to say.

He moved closer, his hand coming up to cup my cheek. “Tell me if you want me to stop.”

I didn’t. When his lips touched mine, gentle at first, I felt something inside me unravel.

The kiss deepened quickly. His tongue slid against mine as his ha