“So . . . this is your place?” Leo asked as I strolled from the sidewalk and up the little gravel path that led to my porch. Our walk from the ferry dock had taken us just a few minutes, and now we were right in front of my home.
“Yep, all mine.” I reached the steps and halted, turning back to face him. It was already dark, but the sounds of downtown still echoed all around. The general murmur of people talking on the street, the clip-clop of horses on their way back to the barns for the night, and the ever-present caress of waves on the shore. This was my favorite time of day, as the business of the island quieted down to the hushed sounds of evening.
“You live here by yourself?” Leo asked, eyeing my blue two-story house before setting a foot on the bottom step.
“Yep, just me.” I hid my smile. I knew where this was going.
“Living alone is nice,” he said slowly. “All that peace and quiet, but sometimes there are some distinct disadvantages.”
“Such as?” I crossed my arms and leaned back against the post.
“Well,” he said, tapping his foot, “I mean it’s nice for when you feel like being alone, but sometimes there’s stuff you want to do that, you know, requires two people.”
“Such as?” I asked again, as if I didn’t know.
“Parcheesi.”
My laugh echoed into the air, and he smiled.
“I mean, sure, you’ll win, but it’s just no fun playing Parcheesi by yourself.” He moved closer. “Ping-Pong. Synchronized swimming. Arguing. You definitely need another person for that.”
Oh, I don’t know. There was a pretty feisty argument going on inside of me right then between my head and my heart. Well, maybe not so much my heart as my long-dormant libido.
“And kissing,” he said as his gaze dropped pointedly to my mouth. “You need two people for that.”
“At least two,” I said, and was rewarded with a throaty laugh from him.
“At least two.” He stepped even closer, close enough that I had to look up at him. “You know, my plan was to take you out for a nice dinner, maybe have a few cocktails, listen to some soft music, impress you with my excellent table manners. All that seductive-type stuff to show you what a great guy I am. Pizza and beer is usually more for a fifth or sixth date, when the outcome is, you know, more of a sure thing.”
His acknowledgment of trying to play me with a predetermined schedule held the potential for insult, but his smile was full of mischief and humor and optimistic honesty. No one had tried to woo me into bed in a very long time, and quite frankly, I appreciated even the suggestion of his effort. Nonetheless, Leo was the type of guy who should come with a warning label. Contents may be addictive. Whatever he had to offer, I wasn’t ready to partake.
“Thanks for sharing your playbook with me. I’m not sure where that leaves us.” I uncrossed my arms and let them drop.
“It leaves me wanting to kiss you very much.”
My breath hitched at the words and the lusty way he said them. The teasing had evaporated, and heaven knew I wanted to be kissed. Kissed by him and to kiss him back. Every part of me felt pulled forward, like the universe was urging us closer, until his lips were just a breath away. All signs pointed to there not being much hope of a future for us, but maybe I could just worry about that little detail tomorrow. Tonight, I’d have just one little kiss. I looked into Leo’s ocean-blue eyes until mine fluttered shut and he’d closed that tiny distance between us.
His lips were warm on mine, the kiss soft at first but quickly intensifying. Probably because I’d wrapped my arms around his shoulders as if he were the only thing holding me upright, and maybe he was. My knees turned to liquid along with the rest of me as he pressed closer. His hands moved around my waist as if he were molding me, pulling me tight against him. As the kiss deepened, my mind registered the texture of his hair as I wove my fingers through it, the pressure of his mouth against mine, and the flood of longing that sought to drown me. This was more than just a kiss. More than I was prepared for.
With a gasp, I broke away and laughed nervously, letting my arms drop from his shoulders to his biceps. Not sure that was the best route to take, because feeling the bulk of his arms only made me want to jump back into them. Leo looked at me, a half-confused smile touching his features. Then he offered up a rueful little chuckle.
“Wow, Mayor Callaghan. That was . . . wow. You should probably invite me in.”
Oh, how I wanted to, and why couldn’t I? We were responsible adults. I was a vibrant woman. It was practically the healthy thing to do. But I wasn’t reckless that way. My body wanted him, and my mind was halfway there, but I’d been burned before by handsome guys just passing through. So, as handsome and charming and sexy as Leo Walker was, I needed to be more certain of him before taking this step.
“That’s very tempting, but in spite of the pizza-and-beer-themed evening, I am not a sure thing.” If he persisted in the slightest, I could almost certainly change my tune on that, but he didn’t. Through sheer force of will, I dropped my hands from his arms. He took a tiny step backward and let his hands drop from my waist. Not without a little extra squeeze, though.
“I know you aren’t. That’s why I like you.” He kissed me gently once more, a kiss of patience and promise that made my heart thump hard.
“Thanks for having dinner with me, and thanks for telling me all that stuff about the island,” he said. “Maybe I’ll go back to my place and start writing that book.”
“That’s a great idea.” Not as good of an idea as sweeping me off my feet and carrying me to bed . . .
“Sure.” He nodded. “I’ll get to it ASAP. Right after that cold shower.”
His smile was so sweet as he turned to walk away that I very nearly called him back. I didn’t. But I sure as hell wanted to.