Alyssa's breathing was unsteady. Her eyes were closed, and she was pasted against him from chest to hip. His hand in her hair provided that strange, erotic sense of trust and she could feel the heat of him where he was grasping her hip.
For an infinite moment they stood there, his forehead pressed to hers as they breathed the same air. The brief kiss stirred her from that intimacy and brought her back to the present. Alyssa's eyes opened just time to see his smile. It was like a sudden dart to her heart, and she felt that muscle constrict painfully.
Closing her eyes again, she tilted up her head to plant an equally chaste kiss on his lips, and valiantly resisted the urge to continue to taste all the way across his jaw. "Happy New Year," she said softly.
And then, steeling herself with a breath, Alyssa began to pull away from him. Her heart voiced its protest, her libido was even louder, but reason had to rule the day. He was her partner. "This can't happen again."