My words were dangerous and skated on impropriety, but in the face of temptation I was willing to throw such strict codes of behaviour out the window. Jared tried to mask his emotions, but I saw the corner of his mouth turn up ever so slightly in response. “Jared,” I whispered his name, more to taste it on my lips than because I wanted to say something to him.

“Yes?” His voice was low and bogged with desire. The tension between us was palpable. Something in me burned for him and I could not deny it.

“Kiss me,” I asked him, my voice hardly above a whisper. Jared locked gazes with me, his eyes intense, a silent communication that what he and I wanted to do was not proper at all.

“Marina,” He murmured my name and it sounded infinitely sweeter than I had ever heard it before.

“Yes?” I asked, somewhat breathlessly.

“I… We shouldn’t,” he said, though it was half-hearted.

“If you don’t want to, I understand,” I replied nervously. I could smell him from this close, the scent of woodsmoke and soap.