Chapter Seven

The fair was more fun than he’d had in a long, long time. They rode the rides, enjoyed some truly unhealthy but delicious foods, and listened to some good local bands. The first time Jamie took her hand in his, he hadn’t missed the soft gasp that escaped her lips.

But she hadn’t pulled away.

There was only one awkward moment, and that came when she’d spotted Kyle and Celina at one of the game booths. Amy had tugged him rather urgently into the antique tractor tent.

“I didn’t realize you had such a thing for Massey-Fergusons,” he’d teased. He’d followed her gaze and realized the reason behind it. The familiar blade of betrayal sliced through him. Then Amy squeezed his hand and the pain faded as quickly as it had come.

“I’m sorry, Jamie,” she apologized. “I didn’t know they’d be here.”

“It’s not your fault.” Hell, Birch Falls was a small town, and Kyle was his brother. Deep down, he knew that was more important than his bruised ego, and someday soon he’d face that head on, but not just yet. Not today.

“We can leave,” she said quietly, dropping his hand. Those warm tingles he’d been enjoying all afternoon evaporated, leaving his hand (and the rest of him) feeling bereft. He quickly reached out and snatched it back, earning himself a wide-eyed look in the process.

“No. I want to stay,” he said, looking into her eyes and realizing just how much he meant it. Then his gaze fell on her lips. Full and dark pink, the lower one was trapped beneath the bite of her upper teeth. Jamie tugged her hand to pull her closer, then lowered his head until their lips touched.

Hers were so warm and soft. Sweet. Tasting of cotton candy. And capable of making everything else go away until there was only the two of them.

After her initial surprise, she softened and returned the kiss. The initial jolt he’d felt eased into a less intense, but no less potent current of energy passing between them. Only when he groaned did she seem to come to her senses and realize what they were doing. She pushed lightly against his chest and backed away.

“Jamie...”

He blinked rapidly as the noise of the crowd rushed back into his ears. If he thought her eyes were big before, they were now huge.

The thing was, he knew exactly why she had that panicked look on her face. He was a bit shocked, too. He hadn’t meant to kiss her, not yet. It just happened. Even more so, he hadn’t expected it to be like that. Blood surged through his veins. His nostrils flared. His hands itched with the desire to grab her, pull her close and do it again.

But the timing sucked. If only he’d kissed her before they’d seen Celina and Kyle. Now it looked like nothing more than a knee-jerk, rebound reaction.

That’s what she thought, too. He could see it in the way she was shuttering her eyes, putting a silent barrier between them. It was unacceptable.

He decided to draw upon another sliver of advice his romantic advisors had given him (so far, they’d been eerily accurate). Sometimes a woman needs to know that she’s wanted. Don’t allow doubt to gain purchase in her mind.

“Amy,” he said, trying to explain, “I know what it must seem like, but it’s not. The raw truth of the matter is, I’ve been wanting to kiss you all afternoon. I’m not going to apologize for it. And unless you can look me in the eye and say you didn’t like it, I can guarantee you it’s going to happen again, and sooner rather than later.”

Outwardly, he maintained his game face, the one that projected confidence and conviction. Inwardly, he held his breath, his heart thumping wildly against the inside of his chest while he waited for her response.

“Okay,” she said finally, tilting her chin up in a show of courage and warning. “But if you break my heart, Jamie McCullough, I’ll never forgive you.”

“Fair enough.” After that kiss, he didn’t think that was going to be an issue. “Now let’s go find a good spot to watch the fireworks.” He held out his hand, and she slipped her much smaller one into it.

Judging by the oohs and aahs of the people all around them, the fireworks show was pretty spectacular. As it was, Jamie barely noticed. The grassy slope was packed, which kept Amy pressed close to his side. For the entire twenty-minute show, he felt the silk of her hair tickling the side of his jaw. Inhaled the sweet and creamy scent of vanilla. Saw the reflection of fireworks sparkling in her eyes.

“I had a wonderful time, Amy,” he said honestly as he walked her to her door later that night. “Thanks for going with me.”

Her gaze lifted to his. “I had a great time, too. And I’m proud of you.”

“Proud of me?” he echoed. “Why?”

“Just a hunch that the Toxic Hammer and funnel cakes were outside of your comfort zone, but you did them anyway. Thank you.”

She was right. All he could think about when he saw the carnival ride was to question when the last time was it’d had a thorough inspection. But then her eyes had lit up with excitement and she’d asked, “I love this ride. Go on with me?”  He hadn’t the heart to say no.

And when they’d passed the stand with the deep fried batter, he’d actually heard her stomach growl in anticipation. He figured if she could add a healthy breakfast choice to her menu, he could try some funnel cake. It had been delicious, even if it was still sitting in his stomach like a lead pipe. Watching her lick that powdered sugar off of her lips had been worth every deep-fried bite.

“Amy?”

“Yeah?”

“If you don’t want me to kiss you again, you should tell me now.”

“I want you to.” The words were whisper-soft, but he heard them as clearly as if she’d shouted into his ear with a megaphone. He lowered his head. This time, she was ready for him. Lips moist and slightly parted in anticipation, her dark chestnut lashes fluttered downward with his approach.

It started with just a brush of lips, but it wasn’t enough. Jamie wrapped his arms around her waist and deepened the kiss; her hands snaked up around his neck. When her tongue peeked out and ran lightly along his, his knees nearly buckled.

They made out like teenagers right there on the front stoop until his erection was something neither of them could ignore. Amy licked her lips, now slightly swollen, while he drew a deep, ragged breath.

“I’d better say goodnight while I still can,” he breathed.

“Yeah. Me, too.” Thankfully, she didn’t sound any happier about it than he did.

The taste of her stayed on his lips as he made the drive back to his place. While the sense of urgency eased, it kept his arousal from relaxing completely. It had been a long time since he’d been so jacked-up. A long time since he’d gotten so hot and bothered. And from nothing more than some open-mouthed kissing and PG-rated caresses.

No, not a long time. Never. No woman had ever affected him so viscerally, not even Celina. Sure, he’d wanted to sleep with her, enough that he’d gone to Kyle for brotherly advice. Six months of chaste pecks on the cheek were as far as they’d gotten. He couldn’t understand why Celina hadn’t been interested in more. Now he knew.

Because Celina wasn’t the Right One.

The realization was like a smack to the forehead. He’d heard the words enough times, even said them to himself. But hearing and truly believing what the words meant were two entirely separate things.

Finally, he understood. Still, he had to be sure. The moment he got back to his place, he called Amy. “Can I ask you something?” he asked without preamble.

“Sure.”

“Do you want to sleep with me?”

There was a distinct pause before she said, “Excuse me?”

“I’m not asking if you would. I’m asking if you want to, or think you might want to, sometime in the future.”

“Why are you asking me this?”

“Because... it matters.”

Silence stretched between them. It felt like minutes, but it was probably only a few seconds before she said quietly, “Yes, Jamie. I do want to. But it’s not going to happen any time soon.”

Jamie exhaled in relief. That was good enough for him. In fact, he couldn’t think of a more perfect answer.

“Thank you, Amy. Pleasant dreams.”

“You too, Jamie.”