Chapter 5

Greer

“That’ll never work. We need to think harder about the environmental implications and the waste.” I tap the pencil against my lips, pacing my living room. “Dad specifically wants to have the EPA’s highest stamp of approval. We’re going to bring the CDC in, as well.”

“Shit, I’m glad I stuck to Biology.” Jenny rubs her temple.

“I’ll take Chemistry and Mechanics any day over this.” Enrique exhales loudly, running his hand through his hair.

“No fucking doubt,” Jonas agrees.

“We’ve covered a lot of ground tonight. I think the outline is solid for Kevin. Let’s tighten it up and look at it with fresh eyes in a few days,” Bessie suggests cheerfully, making notes on her computer.

“Yes, let’s quit for now. We’ve been going at it for hours.” I massage the back of my neck to ease the pressure. “I’m sorry if I’m being picky and demanding. I just want to make this as perfect as possible.”

“Hey, Little G, we’ve got this. Together, we’re five of the top brains in the country. Nothing will slip through the cracks.” Enrique comes to my side and drapes his arm around my shoulders. “Think we can have a beer now?”

I peer up and catch the humor dancing in his eyes. “I suppose I’ll allow that, seeing as you guys have drained your brains.”

“Not this again,” he groans. “Stop saying that. This is us; the Nerd Herd sticks together. Even though we’re mentally exhausted, it’s been fun.”

There are rumbles of agreement, and I wrap my arms around his waist, squeezing tightly. “Thanks.”

“Anytime.” He kisses my forehead.

There’s a knock at my door, and everyone’s heads jerk toward it.

“Who could that be? We’re all here,” Jonas says.

“Not everyone. Greer has a new hunky neighbor that has taken an interest in her,” Jenny announces with glee.

“Oh yeah! I’ve heard about Lawson.” Bessie wiggles her eyebrows.

Enrique tenses, his arm tightening.

“She’s exaggerating,” I tell them and slide away, going to the door.

There’s a spark of hope that Lawson is on the other side. The flowers he left sit on my nightstand, reminding me of our outing on Sunday. I’m still not sure it qualified as a date. Walking around the city with a fellow New Yorker isn’t my idea of a real date. And, him not offering much personal information about himself was disappointing. I analyzed the day over and over in my head and decided to wait and see what happens the next time we see each other.

My heart does a double flip as soon as I open the door. Lawson has his hand raised as if to knock again. When he sees me, a huge smile forms on his lips, and his eyes brighten. I try to hold his gaze, but my eyes drop, roaming over him quickly. Tonight, he’s dressed casually in shorts and a t-shirt, and his dark hair is ruffled and damp. The scents of soap and spice immediately fill the space between us.

And those glasses… his eyes glow brightly behind the lenses.

“Hi, Lawson,” I barely whisper, gripping the door for support.

“Greer.” The deep rumble of my name sends a chill over my skin. “I was hoping you were home. Hope it’s not too late.” His eyes rake up and down, taking in my appearance.

Ugh! Why did I change when I got home? Once again, I’m dressed down in gym shorts and an oversized NY Giants shirt that was intended to be a present for my dad, but I never gave it to him. Most likely, I appear to be ready for bed.

“I’m home and it’s only seven thirty,” I reply lamely.

He chuckles, but then his expression changes right as I feel the body heat behind me.

“Greer, you okay?” Enrique lays a hand on my arm, and the smile fades from Lawson’s face.

“Yes, Enrique, I’m fine. This is my neighbor, Lawson.” I step back, opening the door wider. “This is my friend, Enrique.” I purposely emphasize the term.

There’s an awkward silence as my eyes dart between them uncomfortably.

Lawson makes the first move, offering his hand. “Nice to meet you.”

Enrique shakes it, and I take the opportunity to step further back, not wanting to give Lawson the wrong impression.

“Well, I was going to order dinner and hoped you’d join me, but it seems you have company.” Lawson focuses his attention back to me.

A sinking feeling knots in my stomach, and I think fast, throwing the door all the way open. “Actually, we were going to order something in a little while. Would you like to join us?” I wave to the rest of my friends in the room.

“Hey, Lawson!” Jenny chirps. “You should join us.”

Lawson’s grin returns. “I’d love to,” he says without reservation, looking directly at me.

“Come on in.” I gently shove Enrique to the side so Lawson can enter.

I introduce everyone and almost leap with joy when Jonas flashes Lawson a welcoming smile.

“How’s your hand?” I ask, noticing he’s still wearing a small bandage.

“Knuckle’s fractured, but it’ll heal.”

“Knuckles are one of the strongest bones we have and are very resilient. But you should still ice it at night to help with swelling and irritation.” Jenny transitions into doctor mode.

“Don’t get her started, man. She can talk about bones for hours.” Jonas shoots Lawson a warning. “She’s spent the last few years studying the most important bone of all.”

“How many times do I have to explain that the penis isn’t a bone? You, of all people, should know it’s a mass of blood vessels and tissue. Using the word ‘bone’ to describe it is a term made up by ignorant—”

“Stop right there. We will not have this discussion again.” I throw my hand in the air and glance at Lawson. “Jenny works in a science lab and has been testing a new condom,” I explain as briefly as possible, intentionally leaving out the fact that she’s a doctor.

“That sounds interesting.” His lips twitch slightly as he fights a smile.

“These condoms are going to change the world. I have a few in my purse if you’d like them,” she announces nonchalantly.

“Jenny!” I shout, my face heating at her boldness. Bessie giggles, slapping her hand over her mouth when I scowl at her.

“What? Jonas and Enrique love when I give them samples. You know how I feel about safe sex. Lawson, do you believe in safe sex?”

My cheeks now burn with embarrassment, and I glare at her to shut down this ridiculous conversation.

“Yes, I’m a firm believer in safe sex,” he answers casually, turning his face to mine.

“Who wants a drink?” I attempt to stop anymore talk of sex and condoms.

All hands raise into the air, and I shoot Jenny another cautionary glance before going into the kitchen. I’m thankful for the privacy as I brace on the counter, trying to recover from the last few minutes. Leave it to my friends to turn a fractured bone into an inappropriate topic for a practical stranger.

“Tell me about this guy.” Enrique joins me, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.

“What do you want to know?”

“Everything. How’d you meet? What do you know about him? Why does he feel comfortable knocking on your door after seven on a Wednesday night?”

“Why wouldn’t he feel comfortable knocking on my door? We’re neighbors.”

“Since when?”

“Last Friday.”

“Seems a little quick to be this comfortable. I want the full story.”

Enrique is the most hot-blooded and temperamental of our group. His overprotective instincts hold no bounds when it comes to us girls. I’ve witnessed this behavior with Jenny and Bessie, but never had to explain myself.

Irritation spikes in my blood, but the last thing I want to do is start an argument with Lawson only a wall away. Briefly, I graze over the details of meeting Lawson and showing him around the neighborhood on Sunday. When I’m done, the air in the room turns icy. Enrique’s eyes are barely slits, his lips pursed in a thin line.

“Are you fucking crazy? Walking out of the safety of your apartment to help a stranger move a bed? Haven’t you ever seen Silence of the Lambs? What kind of dickhead decides to move on a Friday night and can’t even get his furniture inside? Then, he let a woman help him?” His voice grows louder with every word.

The irritation from earlier turns to anger, and I narrow my eyes, daring him to go on. “What the hell is your problem?”

“Something seems off about him.”

“What? Tell me what seems off about the nice guy who lives across the hall that you’ve spent less than five minutes around?”

“I don’t know, but—”

“No!” I hiss and lean closer. “There are no ‘buts’ here. He seems like a nice guy, so unless you can find a concrete reason otherwise, I want you to lose the attitude.”

“Jesus Christ, you like him.”

“Maybe I do.”

“Does he know who you are?”

There it is. The million-dollar question—or, in my case, the billion-dollar question. This is the reason my circle is small and my life is private. Money, fortune, wealth… All of it is kept a secret to ensure I can have a normal life.

“We talked a lot on Sunday. He knows the basic things. If you are referring to if he knows I’m Kevin Palmer’s daughter, then no, it never came up.”

“Your dad depends on me to protect you, Greer.”

“From whom? The hot guy next door? You are being ridiculous! Don’t pull that protection shit on me. Number one, I can handle myself, and number two, I expect you to trust that I know how to judge character. Can we tame the attitude until he actually gives you a reason not to trust him?” There’s a conviction in my tone that I rarely use. It’s my no-room-for-argument voice that even Enrique can’t deny. I know I’ve gotten to him when his shoulders relax and his expression grows gentle.

“Yeah, Little G, I can do that for you.”

“Thank you.” The tension in the room disappears. “Now, make yourself useful.” I open the refrigerator and load his arms with beer before grabbing a bottle of wine and glasses.

When we get back to the others, I notice Jenny and Bessie have sandwiched Lawson between them on the couch and are pointing at something on my iPad.

“What’s going on?” I spy the screen and groan at the image. “You didn’t.”

“We did. We’re proud of those trophies,” Bessie pipes up.

“And, since we can’t talk about condoms and sex, we decided to tell Lawson about the Nerd Herd,” Jenny adds.

Lawson seems thoroughly amused. “I had no idea trivia could be so entertaining. Jenny says you’re the expert on pop culture.”

“I prefer to think of it as lifestyle and entertainment.”

He stands, coming to my side and helping me with the wine glasses.

“Hope you don’t mind I’m crashing your shin-dig,” he says low enough for only me to hear.

“You’re not crashing. I invited you, but fair warning, this group can get a little inappropriate. Hence the condom conversation commencing ten seconds after you walked in the door.”

“I don’t mind. It was enjoyable.”

“Talking about condoms is enjoyable?”

“The conversation was humorous, but it was the pretty blush on your cheeks that made it enjoyable.”

Familiar heat creeps up my neck as I pour two glasses and hand them to the girls. Both are looking at me with knowing grins, which intensifies the fluttering in my stomach.

I focus back on pouring my own wine, trying to avoid all eye contact, until Lawson steps closer into my personal space. His hand brushes down my arm, leaving a trail of heat and a prickling sensation in its wake.

My mind turns to mush, and I swallow half of my glass in one gulp, hoping the alcohol will help unwind my overactive nerves.

Thankfully, Bessie speaks up, bringing all the attention to her. “I’m starved. What are we having tonight?”

Enrique says, “Chinese,” at the same time Jonas shouts, “Italian.”

I say a silent prayer that Lawson won’t tear out of here as the two guys begin the all too common argument about dinner. Jenny throws in her choice of sushi, which sends the conversation escalating.

Condoms, trivia geeks, and now a knock-down about food; he’s going to think we’re all nuts.

He surprises me by lowering his mouth to my ear. “With the exception of Enrique sending me death glares, your friends seem nice.”

“He’s a bit protective.”

“I’d be protective, too.” His warm breath coats the shell of my ear, and I shiver slightly.

If he notices, he doesn’t let on, continuing to whisper, “Are they always like this?”

“Don’t let the term ‘Nerd Herd’ fool you. We can be a bit,” I search for the right word to describe our tribe, “passionate, at times,” I finish.

They continue to argue loudly over their choice of dinner, and Bessie giggles.

His hand moves to my waist, giving it a squeeze. “Passionate I can deal with, but how long does this usually last?”

The small gesture sets my heart racing again, and all I can do is shrug. Finally, Jenny and Enrique go into a staring lockdown, which ends when Jenny huffs dramatically, throwing a hand up in defeat.

Enrique winks triumphantly at me. This does not go unnoticed by Lawson, who grips my waist again.

“Ignore him. He’s gloating,” I try to explain.

“Looks more like flirting, but I can’t say I blame him since I’m doing the same.”

I suck in a breath and try to remain standing as my knees threaten to give out. I glance at Jenny and Bessie, who are watching us closely. Rolling my eyes, I gather my composure. Then I do the only thing I know to do to take the attention off me.

“Who wants a refill?”

•∞•∞•

‘Lawson’ His name flashes on my phone screen, and my stomach flips with excitement.

“Hello.” My voice squeaks in greeting, and Haley crinkles her eyes. “It’s him,” I mouth, pointing to the phone.

She goes back to reviewing our schedule for the next month.

“Please, tell me you’re in your office.”

“As a matter of fact, I am. Why?”

“Because I’m standing in the middle of the women’s section and somehow wandered into the lingerie. Can you come save me?”

“You’re here?” I jump up, knocking my knee on the sharp corner of my desk, and wince in pain.

“You okay?”

“Yes, occupational injury.”

“Do you think you can come rescue me?”

“Be right there.” I disconnect and massage my aching kneecap.

“I take it you have a visitor?” Haley grins widely. “Told you he was interested.”

“Have you been talking to Jenny again?”

“I don’t have to talk to her to know the behaviors of a man who’s interested in a woman.”

“Stop freaking me out and help me.”

“Help you what?”

I wave my hand up and down my body. “Do I look okay?”

“You always look great.”

“But do I look tired, ragged, run down from a long day?”

“No, you look as fresh as when you strolled in here eight hours ago.”

I hobble to the full-length mirror and wish I had a few minutes to freshen my make-up. “You’re a liar, but I don’t want to keep him waiting.”

“Here.” She tosses a sparkly lip gloss to me. “Put that on; the glitter will draw his attention to your lips. Men love lips.”

“Why do you think that?”

“Because I read it in Cosmo.”

That explains it. If it’s in Cosmo, then Haley declares it true. I apply the lip gloss, fling it back to her, and leave to find him.

Lawson’s not hard to locate. Not only does he tower over the racks, his black hat easily visible, but he’s surrounded by three sales clerks. As I approach, I observe each of them flip their hair, cock their hip, and lean in to show their cleavage. None of them care the others are doing the same to draw his attention.

As if he can sense me, his head snaps my way and his smile grows. He walks away from the women without a word. His eyes never waver from mine as he comes closer.

He doesn’t slow down, whisking me into his arms and kissing my cheek softly. “Hi.” His lips graze my ear before he sets me on my feet.

I grip onto his forearm to remain standing, the feel of his lips still tingling on my skin.

“Hi,” is all I can force out.

“You look beautiful.”

“Thanks,” I barely whisper.

“I was in the area and thought I’d stop by. Hope you don’t mind.”

“You were in the area?”

“Yes, we have a job site down the road. I was there today.”

“You have a job site all the way down here?”

“We have job sites all over. Construction in New York is a plentiful business.”

“What kind of job is it?”

“Large scale penthouse remodel. The new owners gutted the place. It’s a hell of a project. We reduced it to bare bones today.”

My eyes rake over his face, neck, chest, and arms. He’s perfectly polished, not a speck of dirt on him. Even his hands are clean. “Do you wear coveralls when you work? You certainly don’t look like you’ve been doing demolition.”

He steps back abruptly, forcing my arm to fall to my side. I start to wonder if I’ve said something wrong, until his lip tips in a sideways grin.

“Actually, I’m the boss. It’s easy to stay clean when you’re barking orders and keeping your crew on schedule.” He wiggles his eyebrows playfully.

“Ahh, you’re one of those demanding bosses.”

“I can be demanding, but I’d like to think I’m fair.”

“Doesn’t seem fair that you don’t like to get dirty.”

There’s a flash in his eyes, and he steps closer, eliminating the space between us. The heat in his glare intensifies as he tilts my chin so our faces are only an inch apart. My breath hitches at the touch, my pulse racing.

“Who said I didn’t like to get dirty? Give me a chance, and I’ll show you just how dirty I can be.”

I swallow hard, my knees ready to give out. His words burn into my brain until I feel lightheaded. How do I respond to that?

His eyes fall to my mouth, and I know Haley was right about the lip gloss. He runs his tongue along his bottom lip and I do the same.

“I have a confession to make,” he mumbles, the warmth of his breath coating my lips.

A little shiver runs up my spine, and the hairs on my arm prickle. “What is that?”

“I volunteered to inspect the progress today. It was an excuse to see you.”

I think about pointing out he saw me two nights ago but remain quiet.

“Or, should I say, see you again,” he clarifies.

“When you said you’d call, I didn’t expect a personal visit,” I barely whisper. “I’m glad you’re here.”

His eyes flare at my response, and his thumb runs lightly across my chin. “I also wanted to invite you to dinner tonight. Are you free?”

“Yes.” I reply without delay.

“What’s a good time?”

“Actually, I’m done for the day.”

“Great, I’ll follow you home.”

“I took the subway today.”

His expression changes, his eyes growing darker. “Then I’ll drive you home. It’s not safe to be on the subway alone.”

“It’s perfectly safe,” I argue. “And I don’t have to deal with the traffic.”

“Well, tonight, you have me as your mode of transportation.”

“Fine with me. Come on, I’ll get my things.”

As we pass through the section, I spot the three salesclerks from earlier peering behind racks of clothes, watching us intently. There’s no way to miss their disappointment that he’s forgotten them so easily.

When we get to my office and I open the door, he lets out a low whistle.

“This is nothing like I expected.” He observes the room. “You can’t even tell you’re in a department store.”

“That’s the point.”

“Greer? Are you back?” Haley yells from the other room.

“Is that your new employee?” Lawson asks.

“She will be permanently mine in a month. Come meet her.”

We don’t have to go far until Haley is sliding around the corner with her bag over her shoulder. When she sees Lawson, she stops dead in her tracks, her jaw dropping.

I stifle down a giggle, knowing Lawson has this effect without trying.

“You must be Haley. I’ve heard a lot about you.” Lawson gives a small wave.

“You must be Lawson, and I’ve heard the same.” She recovers.

Lawson’s hand lands on my shoulder, and he massages the area gently. “Good to know.”

“I’m heading out, unless you need me.” She moves her eyes to mine, which are loaded with curiosity.

“No, we’re good. I’m on my way out, too.”

“Okay, see you Monday afternoon.” She scoots around us. “Nice to meet you, Lawson.”

“You, too,” he calls after her.

I move into my office and start packing my bag, closing my computer, and grabbing my notes.

“Tell me about this space,” Lawson asks, and when I glance over my shoulder, he’s examining the pictures hanging on my pride wall.

I continue packing and tell him my process, explaining that hiring Haley will eliminate my need to have contract hair and make-up professionals. Then I explain that she’s shown interest in helping me expand the business, and I’m training her to build the operation.

“I wish we would have known about you when my mom was sick.”

I freeze, hearing the familiar sorrow in his voice, and spin slowly to face him. “Your mom was sick?”

“She had a rare liver disease. They found it too late. She had no chance of finding a match for transplant.”

“Oh, Lawson.”

“We had time, though, knew she was going to die, and we used every second of that time with her. My dad took a sabbatical from work and spent every day with her.”

“When did you lose her?” I question softly.

“About two years ago. Every chance we got, we celebrated her. Birthdays, holidays, even fucking Arbor Day. We all planted a tree on their property in her name. She loved that. But she would have loved a day with you. Dressing up, make-up, hair—all of it. That shit would have thrilled her.” His voice is full of raw emotion.

I swallow the lump in my throat and look at the floor for a second, thinking of what to say.

“I’m sorry you lost your mom,” is the only thing that comes to mind.

“I’m sorry you lost yours, too.”

I close my eyes, forcing down the sadness of knowing he lost someone dear to him. When I open them, he’s standing close.

He gently tips my chin up to his face. “I didn’t mean to make you upset.”

“I’m not upset, but I wish it wasn’t something we had in common.”

A comfortable silence falls between us for a few seconds, his eyes holding mine as his thumb rubs lightly over my jawline. There’s something behind his gaze that I can’t read, but I assume he’s thinking about his mom.

“Can I take you to dinner now?” His eyes clear and he drops his hand, the moment broken.

“Sure.” I grab my things and motion for him to lead the way.

Once in his truck, the solemn mood from a few minutes ago is gone as he asks me about my day. I tell him the few clients I’m working with that contracted my services for upcoming events around the city. This is a different side to my business, and one of the reasons I hired Haley. As word has spread, men and women are contacting me for assistance. When I tell him about a well-known news personality that has asked I help with his on-air wardrobe, he looks over with a raised eyebrow.

“Is that the guy women are going crazy over?”

“It sure is. He’s coming in next week for our first face to face.”

“Impressive.”

“I’m excited. Hopefully, it goes well. We seem to get along on the phone. If this turns into a long-term thing, it will be very good for business.”

“I have no doubt it will go well.”

“Thanks.”

He turns into our parking garage and peers over at me with a glint in his eye. “Perfect timing.”

“Perfect timing for what?’

He doesn’t answer, taking his phone from the console and typing a few buttons. Then he gets out and comes around to open my door.

His fingers lace through mine as he leads me to the elevator in a hurry.

“What’s the rush?”

“Dinner.”

“Do we have a reservation?”

He smirks, twisting me so I’m facing him and placing a finger on my lip to silence me. “No reservation, but the timing is critical.” He reaches over my shoulder and punches a button.

As we ascend, I know immediately when we’ve passed our floor and keep rising. “Lawso—” I try to speak around his finger, but he presses it a little harder.

“Close your eyes, Greer,” he commands gently.

My heart flips in my chest, and I do as he says, knowing our destination. When the elevator stops, he takes my hand again and guides me out. “Four steps,” he instructs me, holding tight as I climb the stairs.

We walk a few more steps before he stops. “You can open them now.”

I slowly open my eyes and blink a few times at the bright glare. My free hand flies to my mouth, and I let out a little yelp at the scene in front of me. Our rooftop terrace has been transformed. All the normal furniture has been pushed to the sides, and the focal point is a bistro table with two chairs facing west. Immediately, I understand what he meant by the timing being critical as the sun comes into view.

“Sunset is officially at seven- thirteen, but once it passes behind that building, we’d miss it.”

“Oh my God.” I gasp in awe. “It’s gorgeous.”

“I’ve lived in New York City all of my life and never seen anything as beautiful.” His grip in my hand tightens, drawing my attention to him. Instead of staring at the sky, his eyes are on me.

He releases my hand and takes the bag off my shoulder, walking to the small table where he drops it in a chair. He takes the bottle of wine out of an ice chiller and pours two glasses, bringing one back to me.

“I’m not really a wine guy, but the occasion seems to call for it.”

“What’s the occasion?”

“One week ago tonight, you walked into my life. I consider that a reason to celebrate.” He clinks his glass to mine and sips.

My cheeks heat, and I raise the glass to my lips with a shaky hand. “How’d you do this?”

He slides behind me, sweeping my hair over one shoulder and then encircling my waist with his arms. “We have this terrace to ourselves for two hours for a private party. Dinner will be here shortly.”

“We get to have dinner up here?”

“Since you didn’t get Italian the other night, that’s what we’re having.”

“How’d you know I wanted Italian?”

“I saw your face when Enrique announced Chinese.”

“You were watching me?”

“Could barely take my eyes off of you the whole night.”

This time, my heart and stomach flip and flutter in harmony. “No one’s ever done anything like this for me.”

He doesn’t answer, instead tightening his hold and resting his chin on my shoulder. The warmth from his body radiates into the skin of my back, and I press close as we view the last bit of the sunset behind the building.

I slant my head to the side, my cheek scraping against the soft stubble on his until our lips are a breath apart. “Thank you,” I whisper.

His eyes transform into a rich shade of green and bronze right before lowering to my lips. I press up on my toes at the same time he brings his mouth to mine. The instant our lips touch, an electric current shoots through my body. The kiss starts slow, his tongue slipping inside and swirling lazily with mine.

I melt into him, twisting my shoulder into his chest and sliding my hand around his neck. My tongue follows his lead, each stroke igniting a fire inside and searing through my veins. One hand trails up my back and neck, fisting in my hair and angling my head so he can go deeper. I whimper into his mouth, opening wider to give him what he wants.

The shattering of glass sounds through the air right before he turns me fully, one hand caressing my scalp while the other is at the curve of my back, pressing me close. I’m careful not to smash my own glass as he tries to eliminate any space between us.

My lungs scream for oxygen, and I suck in a breath through my nose, inhaling all that is Lawson. The faint smell of his cologne mixed with his own personal scent fills my senses.

This goes so much deeper than a first kiss. I grow dizzy with lust, dissolving even more into him. He growls, sucking on my tongue and then sweeping his throughout my mouth.

Every nerve ending in my body comes alive, tingling and sizzling as he devours me. His strokes become faster, his hold on me tighter, as he takes everything I’m giving him.

I clutch onto his neck, using him as an anchor to keep me standing as my knees threaten to buckle. Never in my life have I experienced something so consuming, so powerful… so right.

He breaks away, sucking in a deep breath but keeping me close. The rise and fall of his chest mirrors my own as we fight to regulate our breathing.

My eyes flutter open and are met with the deepest bronze glow I’ve ever seen. If I weren’t already breathless, the smoldering color of his eyes would knock the air from my lungs.

“Jesus,” he pants. “Are you okay?”

His question takes me by surprise, and I jerk in his arms. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“I lost control.”

I smile, tipping my head back to see his face. “I thought it was perfect.”

“I’ve never felt anything like that in my whole fucking life.”

“That makes two of us.”

His lips quirk before splitting into a one-sided grin. “I was wrong earlier. Maybe I am a wine type of guy. The taste of wine on your tongue may be my new favorite flavor.”

“Too bad you shattered your glass.”

“Necessary casualty. I can drink it from you the rest of the night.”

His brazen statement sends another shiver down my spine, and I shift my arms from between us, swallowing a large gulp as he watches me intently.

“That sounds like a terrific idea,” I tell him before bringing my lips back to his.

He growls his approval before giving me the second-best kiss of my life.