Alaric’s POV
My heart continued to race, even after Ethan interrupted us and Cara walked away. I’d been so close to kissing Cara, to returning us to that same moment we shared all those years ago, when I held her in my arms and kissed her senseless before we retreated upstairs to make love.
No, it wouldn’t have been the same moment. Not this time.
Before, I loved her and didn’t know it. Now, I was fully aware of the extent of my feelings. I wanted to hold her and kiss her and love her for the rest of my life.
Which was precisely why I shouldn’t have almost lost myself just now.
I needed to be better in control of myself, for my own sake as well as for Cara’s. I knew she wanted to go slow this time. She still hadn’t even agreed to allow me to pursue her yet.
If we made out and then ma
