Chapter 5

CHAPTER FIVE

DANE

What was happening to me?

I was not a man who believed in fairytales and love at first sight nonsense. I didn’t think I was particularly superstitious. But maybe that was just drummed into me by the media.

After all, my ancestors were spiritual people. We didn’t perform the haka before games for shits and giggles. There was power in that ceremonial dance.

I had a fair mix of Māori and European blood. Most of the guys from back home did.

It shaped my identity, my connection to both cultures. So yeah, when I really thought about it, I did believe in magic.

It was a matter of faith. Of trust. A common thread that wove through my life and experiences, binding it all together.

This woman was magic.

From the moment I first laid eyes on her, I felt something I hadn’t felt in years. She was unlike anyone I had ever met, with a presence that commanded attention and a spirit that radiated warmth.

It was as if the entire universe conspired to bring us together in that moment. I felt connected to her. Bonded in a way that transcended mere attraction.

Everything I felt ever since I first laid eyes on her was magic.

And kissing her?

Fuck me. Kissing her was like—if that wasn’t magic, then I didn’t know what was.

The feel of her soft skin pressed against me was a revelation. Desire flared to life in an instant, drowning out every other emotion. Like all the pent-up energy between us exploded into an inferno of lust and longing. It swirled around us like a living thing.

That she kissed me back stoked that primal hunger. Her lips were so damn inviting. Her flavor unique.

Delicious.

When our mouths met, it felt like the world around us just fucked right on off.

Time stood still. I lost myself to the feel and taste of her. The scent of her hair. The way she clung to me, like she couldn’t get enough of me either.

“What was that?” she whispered.

Her chest heaved with the effort it took to catch her breath, and I knew that feeling all too well.

It mirrored the turmoil churning inside me. Like a tempest that refused to settle.

Lightning flashed outside, illuminating the room in sharp bursts. The storm raged on. Echoing the chaos in my heart. But even the wild winds and pounding rain paled compared to the turbulence brewing within me.

This was crazy. I was in no position to claim a woman. I had just started this job, and the last thing I needed was to complicate my life with romantic entanglements.

What if it didn’t work out?

What if I got too close and things fell apart?

The thought sent a wave of doubt crashing over me.

But as I looked into her velvet brown eyes, I couldn’t deny the fierce desire that flared within me.

It was primal, raw—a magnetic pull that seemed to draw me toward her despite the warnings echoing in my mind.

I wanted her so badly. Fuck. Maybe I even needed her.

There was something indescribable about this connection I felt. Like the universe had conspired to bring this woman into my life at this exact moment.

I felt it deep in my bones—a sense of fate, of rightness. It started as a whisper the second I saw her, and now, now it was roaring like a wild beast, urging me not to ignore it.

This wasn’t a passing attraction. My feelings were more like a force of nature. Something that demanded acknowledgment.

The way she held my gaze, the fire in her spirit, spoke to me in a language that was beyond words.

No, I could not ignore it.

“I don’t know. But I don’t want to stop,” I answered honestly, waiting with bated breath for her to decide.

It was intoxicating and terrifying all at once.

I yearned to explore this connection further. Was dying to dive headfirst into the mystery of who she was and what we could be together.

My Caro Darlin’ was something extraordinary. I just knew it. And maybe, just maybe, we could be that together. It was right there, sizzling between us—the promise of adventure, passion, and a magic I didn’t know I was missing.

I took a step closer, leaving not even air between us. The feel of her soft skin was driving me wild. All the unspoken possibilities were right there, tempting me like nothing else ever had.

Every instinct told me to embrace this moment, to explore the potential that shimmered in the air.

“I don’t want to stop either,” she whispered, her gaze heating as she licked her bottom lip.

The sound of thunder booming echoed like my heartbeat, matching the rhythm of my rocketing pulse.

I reached for her, wrapping my arms tightly around her curvy body, molding her to me. Fuck, she fit me just right. Like she was built to be trapped in my embrace.

“We go at your pace, Caro Darlin’,” I whispered, meeting her gaze to make sure she understood.

“I need you to answer with words, Sweet,” I said.

“Yes. I understand, please, Dane,” she whimpered and nodded her head.

Her arms wrapped around my neck as she tugged me down to meet her plump lips. Her kiss tasted of desperation and desire and goddamn I felt both.

I knew it then and praised my luck. Carolina was caught up in the same spell as me. She felt that same intense awareness I felt.

Yes, I wanted her to know I respected her. But she needed me just as badly as I needed her. And I wasn’t strong enough to deny us both.