" Hesitantly, he brushed back a few errant strands of her hair, his hand resting along the side of her face. "You have no idea how much I wish I could change thing."

"I think I might," she whispered.

His gaze dropped to her lips, causing her heart to race even faster. When he lowered his head, she held her breath, the memories of their first and only kiss flooding her, a kiss that seemed like it was a lifetime ago. She wanted to experience that again, to feel his lips on hers. She held perfectly still as he closed the distance between them, her breath catching.

When his lips pressed against hers, his touch was soft, exquisite and tender, stirring a fire within her that she had never felt before. She pressed herself closer to him as he worked a hand into her hair.

She wanted more of him. More of the precious connection between them that made her blood heat even as it filled her with an indescribable rightness. But almost as soon as their exploration of one another had begun, he pulled away, his breathing ragged and his expression pained.

"I can't," he softly said, his voice coming out strangled. "I'm sorry. I just... I can't do this. "

― Hannah E. Carey , The Betrayer: Tales of Pern Coen (Legacy, #1)