Page 101 of Off the Wall

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Cash

Nori whimpers,and the coiled rope of my insides completely unravels. My mouth crashes into hers, and the world lights up like this is the first kiss. Not just with Nori. Not just for me.

But between anyone.

If you told me right now no one else had ever kissed before besides us—that this kiss was erasing all other kisses in history—I’d believe you. And I know that doesn’t make sense. But neither does how much I need this woman. She is magical. What’s between us feels … miraculous.

Nori Sinclair is everything I taught myself not to want. The emotions I’ve denied. The feelings I’ve tried to fight. But with her in my arms now—learning how true connection feels—my will is obliterated. I devour her, stealing her breath, giving her air, offering her absolutely all of me.

“Nori,” I whisper again, dissolving into the sweetness. I’m losing myself to the hope of her, helpless against the tide. I’ve never needed anything more. Anyonemore.

She teases me with little nips of her teeth, and I returnthe favor, gathering her lower lip between mine. After minutes—or hours or maybe an eternity—my mouth slides to her throat, sweeping down along her neck. My breath is ragged against her skin, and I’m ignited from the inside out, not just by the clash of our bodies, but the meeting of our souls.

Until suddenly, Nori pulls away.

“Stop,” she gasps.

Her voice is a bomb, and I’m on the brink of disintegration, but I freeze. “Are you all right?” I rasp. “Did I do something wrong?” When I meet her gaze, her eyes are a contrast of dark and bright.

“I’m so sorry.” It’s a soft tremble of words. “But this won’t work, Cash.Wedon’t work.”

“We do, though,” I insist, my gaze drilling into hers. “The other night, out in the hallway, you said you wanted to be with me.” I take a beat, my pulse racing. “Didn’t you mean that?”

Nori’s brows pull together. “Of course I meant it.” She swallows. “But I thought you’d be living in Serendipity Springs a whole lot longer than a month. I thought we had time to build a foundation. But now …”

Right. The territory in Los Angeles.

Just my dream job blowing up my life.

“So we’ll visit each other,” I say. “We can figure out some kind of schedule. Both of us going back and forth.”

She averts her gaze. “You’ve told me over and over again you don’t have time for relationships.” She says this like I need a reminder of how isolated I’ve become. “And you’re about to take on the biggest challenge of your career. I can’t be an obstacle to that, or to all the kids you want to help.” Her voice breaks on the wordhelp.

“So you won’t even try?”

She lifts her chin, and her eyes shine, tears gathering in the corners.

Oh.

That’s my answer.

For a split second, I consider asking Nori to move to LA too. After all, she’s not tied down to Serendipi-Tea anymore. But a voice in my head booms out a warning:

You’ve been down this road, Cash. You jumped in too fast with Daphne. Pushed too hard. Got your heart broken.

Besides. Nori deserves better than to be ripped from the only home she’s ever known—from what’s left of her family, her friends—to end up a work widow in Los Angeles.

My insides torque on the truth of what I stand to lose. “But I don’t want this to end,” I say.

“Then we shouldn’t even start.” She chokes back a sob. “If we’re being honest with each other—really honest—there is no future for us. And wanting you hurts too much already. If we take this any further, it will only hurt more.”

She rises from the couch, and I leap up after her, gathering her hands in mine. “I don’t want you to hurt,” I say. “I want you to hope.”

Her lips part. “We’ll just end up resenting each other.” The words are serrated, tearing through my chest. Once again, I’m holding on to someone who doesn’t want to be held. Someone who doesn’t want me enough.

My phone chirps, and Nori’s gaze darts to my pocket. I don’t have to read the text to know it’s Cullen. I’d left him and Lauren to come home and shower and change. Get a little sleep. But my family’s expecting me back at Worcester Medical.

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