Tara tugged her hand free but followed him closely. Once outside, Seth grasped her hand again, and moved quickly to the alleyway behind Comfort Zone. He stood close to her but shoved his hands into his pockets so he wouldn’t grab her.

“Please. I need to kiss you,” he rasped. His whole body was on fire, and his mind screamed just one word. “Tara.”

She placed her hands on his shoulders and pushed herself up on her toes. That was all the answer he needed. He backed her against the wall and planted both his palms above her head, and crushed his mouth against hers. A sound between a moan and a groan tore from him.

She tasted so good—like cherries and coffee. He used his tongue to lick her softly parted lips, coaxing her to open wider. She tilted her head to give him full access. God. He delved into her, soaking up the wet warmth of her mouth and the sweet sound of her moans. He pressed his body against hers, letting her feel the extent of his arousal. She made a throaty sound of approval and ground her hips against him. He hissed against her mouth, rational thought a thing of the past.

When her hands snuck under his shirt to roam over his chest and stomach, he jerked helplessly against her touch. He smoothed his hand down her arm, then cupped the fullness of her breast. She pushed herself against his palm, asking for more. He brushed his thumb over her peak, and she mewled. She actually fucking mewled like a fucking kitten.

His hand slid down her thigh, and he brought her leg around his waist and pressed his hardness into her center. It was only when she cried out that he remembered they were hiding behind his sister-in-law’s bakery, and someone could lumber down the alleyway at any moment. Shit. He was so close to taking her against the wall after promising her that he would keep their relationship a secret.

“We need to stop,” he said, tearing his lips away from Tara.

She growled and pulled him back, and he kissed her helplessly for a few desperate seconds, then lifted his head again. When she finally opened her eyes to look at him in a haze of desire and confusion, it took all of his willpower to step back from her.

“If we’re still keeping our dates a secret, I shouldn’t take you against the wall in an alleyway,” he said as he fought for breath.

Tara’s eyes widened with something like alarm, but when she blinked, it was gone. It was with a measured albeit winded voice that she said, “Dammit. I can’t believe I forgot what happened the last time we kissed in the park. I shouldn’t have kissed you.”

“I kissed you. I dragged you out here with the single-minded intention to kiss you.”

“You think I didn’t know that?” Tara pressed the back of her hands against her flushed cheeks. “Fine. We both wanted to kiss, but we both should’ve known better than to kiss like this in public.”