Chapter Five
BLUE PACED THE bedroom on the second floor of his cottage on the bluff with his cell phone pressed to his ear and a grimace on his face as he listened to Duke complain about Trish’s newest role. It was late Saturday afternoon, and he’d already finished laying the hardwood floors in the bedrooms. He should be exhausted after staying at Lizzie’s to fix her oven until nearly one o’clock in the morning, then getting up to work at the crack of dawn. But he wasn’t exhausted; he was invigorated.
“I just don’t see what the issue is,” Blue said as he walked down the stairs. “She’s an actress, Duke. What do you want her to do? Turn down the most lucrative roles?”
“Hold on a sec, B.” Blue’s siblings had called him B for as long as he could remember.
While he waited for Duke to return to the line, Blue went into the kitchen and admired the cabinetry he’d built, and his mind drifted back to Lizzie and the kiss they’d shared. Even though he was no longer into meaningless hookups, he’d had his fair share of women over the years. Blue adored the intimacy of kissing. He loved the closeness, the feel of a woman’s breathing going shallow, the pressure of her lips on his, the urgency or languid enjoyment of the kiss. From a single kiss he could tell how deep their connection would go. There were surface kisses—the kind that he doled out to end a date when there wouldn’t be another. Then there were hurried, urgent kisses as a precursor to sex. Hot, steamy, let-me-take-you kisses. He loved those. But the most glorious kiss of all was the very first one. The kiss where both people were testing the waters, feeling for their bodily reactions and sensing those of their partner. Waiting to see if the first few seconds of coming together had the ability to obliterate everything else in the world. Twenty-four hours ago Blue would have sworn that his first kiss with Sarah Jane had been the most intense kiss of his life, but after kissing Lizzie, he realized that every other kiss, every other woman, paled in comparison.
“I’m back. Sorry, dude.” Duke’s voice brought Blue back to their conversation.
Blue pictured his brother running a hand through his thick hair. It was a mannerism all of the Ryder men shared. A frustrated hair rake they’d picked up from their father.
“No worries. Look, Duke, all I was saying about Trish is that she’s an adult. She’s in a competitive field. She’s going to take the best roles that come to her. She’s not a teenager anymore. You can’t control what she does.”
Duke laughed. “No one could ever control Trish. You know that. I just don’t want her to be known forever as that actress who played a role the equivalent of that girl in Fifty Shades of Grey.”
Blue walked outside. “Well, get over it. She’s secure in who she is, and things change quickly in Hollywood. A year from now no one will even remember this role.”
“Maybe you’re right. Hey, have you heard from Jake? He left two days ago for that plane crash out in Colorado, and I haven’t heard from him since. I’m getting worried.” Jake was their youngest sibling. He’d followed in their father’s footsteps as a search and rescue professional and traveled often. He always kept in close contact with family, and with Duke in particular. As the eldest, Duke tended to keep closer track of his siblings than the rest of them did, though they were all close.
“No, but they’re still dealing with the aftermath out that way. He’ll get in touch when he can.” Blue made a mental note to text Jake after they got off the phone. He stood back and admired the cottage. “You should see the cottage. Man, does it look great.”
“I can’t wait to see it. Did you decide what you’re going to do with the lighthouse?”
“Not yet. One thing at a time.”
“One thing at a time?” Duke laughed. “B, you’ve been talking about the lighthouse since the day you first saw it. Why the sudden halt?”
“I’ve got something else on my mind right now. Guess who I have a date with tonight?” Blue grinned just thinking about Lizzie. He and Duke had both spotted Lizzie at the same time at the wedding. All of the Ryder men were six three or six four and blessed with athletic builds and smart minds. Blue had to admit that when they’d first met Lizzie, he’d felt a stroke of competition with his older, very successful brother. And it felt awesome to come out on top.
“No kidding? Lizzie finally agreed to go out with you?”
“Yes, although she’s not calling it a date. I hope to change her mind on that point, though.”
“You’ve been courting her for a year. I haven’t heard you sound so sure about a woman since you know who.”
Blue’s family had the decency not to speak of Sarah Jane often, and when they did, it was rarely by name, which he appreciated. “I know. Let’s not bring her up, okay?”
“That was more than a decade ago. That woman’s probably got five kids by five different guys and boobs that sag to the ground by now.”
“Duke.” Blue winced. “No need to slam her like that.”
“You really did get Mom’s genes, didn’t you? I’m telling you, you should have slept with every one of her friends back then. It would have made you feel a heck of a lot better.”
Blue had never been a vengeful person. He’d walked out of Sarah Jane’s apartment without a word after catching her with that jerk, and he’d never looked back or taken revenge.
He and Duke talked for a few more minutes, and when they ended the call, Blue sent a text to Jake, trying to elicit at least a smart-alec response.
Dude, you still alive?
Knowing Jake, he was probably holed up in a hotel room with a woman—his form of stress relief.
Blue locked up the cottage and headed back to his house, thinking about Lizzie and how glad he was that she’d agreed to go out with him again. He’d tried to distract himself from thinking about her too much today, which was why he’d worked at his cottage instead of on her kitchen, but with every board he’d installed, the hope that she’d want to go on another date, and another, and another, grew. Now he couldn’t shake the mounting desire that she’d want even more than that. When it came to sweet and sultry Lizzie Barber, one kiss was definitely not enough.
LIZZIE LOVED EVERYTHING about owning her own flower shop, from meeting new people every day to being surrounded by the scents of nature and the glorious colors of the plants and flowers. But by far, the best thing about owning P-town Petals was the location. Provincetown was an eclectic town that was home to about three thousand people in the off-season and nearly burst at the seams with upward of fifty thousand tourists over the summers, and it had always been Lizzie’s favorite place on earth. Provincetown was known for its harbor and beaches and the extensive diversity of artists and the community. Excitement vibrated through the town each week with an onslaught of tourists and a variety of shows and street entertainers. Even now, in October, there were still a large number of tourists. But Lizzie knew that in another month, the streets would be nearly empty and the buzz of excitement that made the town come alive would be tamped down to the gentle hum of residents reclaiming their quiet streets.
Lizzie rang up a bouquet of flowers for a customer and walked him out. “Thanks for coming in.” She inhaled the cool afternoon air, admiring Sky’s tattoo shop next door. Sky had recently renovated Inky Skies and painted the outside bright yellow. It fit in well with the other vibrant shops on Commercial Street, like the graffiti-covered Shop Therapy and bright orange sweets shop down the street. Lizzie’s shop was painted pale blue with flowers and greenery winding around the columns.
She waved to Sky through the open door. Her friend was absolutely beaming as she came outside wearing one of her long skirts and a soft purple sweater. Her dark hair was piled on top of her head in a messy bun, with long tendrils framing her face. But it was the mischievous look in her eyes that had Lizzie also grinning like a fool. She knew Sky wanted details about her evening with Blue, and just thinking about him made her insides go wild. It had been Sky’s text she’d missed last night when she and Blue were making out, and when she’d finally returned it two hours later, after editing her webcast, she’d still been confused about how to handle things with Blue, and she’d been vague in her reply to Sky.
“Is your place as crazy as mine today?” Sky asked, eyeing the tourists milling about in the streets. “Don’t they know it’s October? I mean, I’m thankful for the business, but sheesh! What a busy season it’s been.”
“It’s been insane. This is my first break, and I’m beat.” She’d been on such a high after kissing Blue that working through her edits hadn’t been as exhausting as normal, but then she’d lain wide-eyed in bed, her body vibrating, her mind reeling with thoughts of Blue, until she finally drifted off to sleep in the wee hours of the morning. She was surprised she had any energy at all.
“I bet you are.” Sky raised her brows. “You didn’t text me back until three fifteen. I guess you and Blue had a really good time.”
Lizzie laughed. “Not that good of a time. He fixed my oven and then I just couldn’t sleep.”
“Fixed your oven. Seriously, Lizzie? This is me you’re talking to, remember?” Sky smiled and nudged her shoulder. “Details, woman. Come on.”
“I don’t have details. We kissed. Once.”
“One kiss? Was it that bad?” Sky’s disappointment was evident in her flat tone.
“No. It was that good.” She pulled Sky away from the busy sidewalk to the doorway of her shop and lowered her voice. “The man kisses like it’s his profession. I think he’s perfected the art of seduction through one mind-blowing kiss.”
“That’s good, right? So why did you stop? When Sawyer and I first kissed, I could barely think, much less stop.”
“Yeah, well, it definitely wasn’t easy.” That was putting it mildly. She’d kicked herself all night for dragging her lips away from his. She wished she had a normal life, without secrets hanging over her head, but she’d made her bed—alone, unfortunately—and now she had to sleep in it. “But Blue is your best friend. Well, he was until you met Sawyer, and we both know that he’s not a player, and he’d give the shirt off his back to a stranger. He’s…perfect.”
“And?”
“And he doesn’t need me complicating his life.”
Sky rolled her eyes. “You’re the best thing that ever happened to him. You’re the total package. You’re gorgeous, smart, a great big sister to Maddy. You’re an amazing friend, and I’m sure you’ll be an incredible girlfriend.”
Lizzie smiled at a couple as they stepped inside her shop to admire the string gardens hanging in the front window. She wondered how incredible a girlfriend or friend Sky would think she was if she found out about her secret.
“I better go in and help them, but I did tell Blue I’d see him again tonight.”
“Really?” Sky hugged her. “That’s great. Perfect. See? Blue knows you’re the best woman around. You two will be great together!”
Lizzie wasn’t worried about their being great together. After last night’s kiss, she knew they had amazing chemistry. It was the rest of her life colliding with his that she worried about.
She headed inside to greet the young couple that was admiring her string gardens. The woman reached up and touched the ball of moss. Her long dark hair was tied back in a low ponytail, and when she went up on her toes, the man touched her back in the same manner Blue had touched Lizzie. She had to work hard to push past the jolt of desire that ran through her at the memory of his touch.
“Those are called string gardens. Are you familiar with them?” Lizzie asked.
“No,” the woman answered. “But they’re really cool.”
“They are cool. String gardens are essentially balls of soil held together with moss and string rather than pots. They aren’t difficult to make once you understand the process, and I actually give a free class once a month. This month’s class is on Wednesday evening, if you’re interested.” Lizzie had at least a dozen string gardens hanging from the ceiling, and not only were they a great conversation starter, but they fed right into her love of creating unique plantings. She explained the process of making a string garden to the couple, and before leaving, they bought two of her favorite plants and signed up for her class.
After they left Lizzie had an onslaught of customers. She was on her feet all day, and by the time she closed the shop, she was running late to meet Blue. She leaned her back against the door, the heaviness of fatigue suddenly settling in. She was so tired, she wouldn’t have her wits about her tonight, and it had taken every bit of her strength to stop kissing Blue last night. If they kissed tonight—and boy did she hope they would—she might not be able to stop.
She had a good feeling about Blue. Being with him was not just easy, but he’d looked at her like she hung the moon over the sea when they were on their walk, and she couldn’t remember the last time anyone had looked at her like that, if ever. She wanted to get closer to him, but at the same time, she knew she needed to keep her distance. Maybe she should cancel their date. It’s not a date.
Her mind traveled back to the look in his eyes when he said he wasn’t going to walk away from her, not after that kiss. That kiss. The kiss that left her head spinning and her excited in places she didn’t know could be turned on. If he could do that with one perfect kiss, what would it be like to go further? To feel his mouth traveling down her neck as his hands caressed her bare skin? A thrill rushed through her at the thought.
She grabbed her purse and fished out her cell phone, mulling over the idea of canceling before she got in too deep. She noticed she’d missed a text from Blue, and her heart leapt despite her concerns.
Are we still on for our friendly outing tonight?
Her webcast aired tonight, and she liked to watch the first few minutes to make sure there weren’t any technical issues, but she could do that on her phone in the privacy of a bathroom while they were out. She didn’t want to cancel seeing him. In fact, the more she thought about it, the more excited she became.
She replied with a quick yes before she could change her mind, silently praying that there would be no technical difficulties to deal with. There rarely were, but it would be just her luck to have something go wrong this evening. She pushed away the nerve-racking thoughts and retrieved the flowers that hadn’t sold, debating what she’d do with them. Lizzie didn’t believe in wasting anything and gave to others as often as she could. That was why she dropped off the goodies she baked for her webcasts at the homeless shelter on the way to work the mornings after she filmed. When it came to doing something with the flowers that hadn’t sold and would soon wilt, she had several options, but today was cemetery day.
Her phone vibrated with another text from Blue. Great. Looking forward to getting to know you even better. See you in twenty mins?
The truth was, she wanted to get to know him better, too. Her chest tightened with the reality that there was a whole side of herself that she couldn’t share with him or anyone else, but just this once she wasn’t going to let that stand in her way. She’d had a great time last night, and didn’t she deserve just one more night out with a friend? It’s not like she was going to jump in the sack with him—even though the idea had run through her mind a thousand times today.
If he really wanted to get to know her better, why not start right now? She typed in a quick response.
I’m running late. Sorry! Heading to Shore’s Edge Cemetery before going home. Meet me there? She sent it off and gathered the flowers in her tote. As she walked out the door, she realized she was way too excited to be going to a cemetery—and she really needed to get her emotions in check now, because as she found out last night, getting her emotions in check around Blue was not an easy feat.
Lizzie pulled into the parking lot of the cemetery and parked beneath an umbrella of trees. She gathered the tote of flowers she’d brought, and as she stepped from her car, Blue’s truck pulled into the lot. A shiver of delight ran through her as he parked and stepped from the truck with that sexy smile that made her forget to keep her distance.
“This wasn’t what I imagined when I asked you out, but I’m game.” He pressed a hand to the small of her back and kissed her cheek. He smelled fresh, as if he’d just showered, which made Lizzie realize that she hadn’t.
She’d been so intent on getting to the cemetery—and seeing Blue—that she hadn’t slowed down enough to think about proper dating etiquette.
Way to go, Lizzie.
This isn’t a date.
Maybe not, but it sure felt like one.
“I can’t believe you came,” she said honestly.
He stepped in closer, sucking all the air from the space around her.
“You don’t think I’d pass up time with you, do you?”
She inhaled a jagged breath, filling her lungs with his fresh, manly scent, and smiled, which was about all she could muster at the moment. This was definitely a date. She may have been able to fool her mind into accepting the offer, but her body knew the difference.
Her body craved the difference.
Her body craved Blue.
She cleared her throat and tried to shake off the craziness that was sending her thoughts into overdrive. “I’m glad you did.”
“Are we visiting a particular grave?” Blue fell into step beside her, and they walked up the slight incline and across the lawn, toward the sea of headstones.
“Sort of. When I have flowers that don’t sell, sometimes I bring them here and place them on the graves that go unattended.” She’d never shared this with anyone before and wasn’t sure how he’d respond—or why she had invited him to join her when she’d always kept this private.
He placed his hand on her back again and didn’t say a word. She liked his quiet acceptance—and the feel of his hand sending heat and awareness through her like live wires.
“Some people find cemeteries scary at night, without the sunshine to give them a feeling of safety,” Lizzie said as they weaved through the headstones. “But when I come here I think about all the people who are buried, and I can’t help but feel like they would have wanted to be remembered.”
“Everyone wants to be remembered by those they love. Which graves do you put the flowers on?”
She liked that he was interested enough to ask. “I’ve been coming here for years, so I’ve gotten to know which graves are visited and which aren’t. Some people leave painted stones or letters, but some graves never have anything left on them. It can be tricky to figure out, but, for example, that one over there.” She pointed to a child’s headstone. “That one looks like all the others, right?”
His eyes slid over a line of headstones. “Sure.”
She walked over to it and crouched. Blue crouched beside her, their thighs brushing as their eyes met and held. He was doing it again, looking at her like she was all that mattered, like she was his total focus. She forced herself to focus on the explanation, when all she really wanted to do was get lost in the depths of emotions she saw there.
“This grave gets visited every other week. Sometimes I find remnants of flowers.” She pointed to the grave beside it. “But that one? I’ve never found anything there.” She pulled a rose from the tote and laid it across the headstone. Her fingers lingered on the cool marble. “I wonder what they were like. Was this person pensive and shy or aggressive and obnoxious?”
They walked between the headstones, his hand resting on her back, and it felt natural to share her thoughts with him. “I wonder if they were loved and who they left behind.”
Blue took a flower from the tote. “May I?”
She smiled and nodded.
He crouched before a headstone, his eyes running thoughtfully over the engraving. “I don’t see any remnants of flowers. This is for you, Helen Craft. I hope good feelings reach you.” He took Lizzie’s hand in his as he rose to his feet. “I never imagined you doing this, but it doesn’t surprise me.”
“I’m sure I do lots of things that you never imagined I would.” The way his lips tipped up told her that he thought she was implying something naughty. She loved that glint of wickedness in him, but she was too aware of her secret to let the mistaken innuendo go. “I didn’t mean it that way.”
“I’m sure you’re full of surprises, and I can’t wait to learn about each and every one of them.”
Wanna bet?
THE GOLDEN GLOW of the moon cast shadows like memories across the grass, and in the distance, the Pilgrim Monument stood sentinel behind a buffer of trees. Blue had driven by this cemetery hundreds of times, but he’d never given it a thought. He watched Lizzie crouch before another grave in her jeans and P-town Petals shirt, the moonlight dancing off her thoughtful eyes as she placed a flower in front of the headstone, then rose beside him. He reached for her hand and she laced her fingers with his. This might not be a typical date, but holding Lizzie’s hand, with no distractions, in such an unexpected place, seemed like a perfect evening.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” She fidgeted with the seam on her jeans.
Unlike other women, Lizzie didn’t need special outfits or lots of makeup. She was a natural beauty, and after a year of wanting to be closer to her, Blue couldn’t imagine being more attracted to anyone. He stepped closer and brushed his thumb over her jaw. “This is a little embarrassing. I was just admiring how beautiful you are, and how thoughtful.”
Even in the moonlight he could see her cheeks flush as they began walking again.
“How often do you come here?” He wanted to get to know so much more about her, but even though she was holding his hand, he saw something in her eyes that told him she was still wary of getting too close.
“About once or twice a week. I also bring flowers to the assisted-living facility in Wellfleet, and sometimes I give them to tourists outside my shop, or I take them to the police station or the firehouse.” She shrugged like it was no big deal, but Blue knew how she raced around every day at work. He’d seen her in action, and he knew how big of a heart it took to make time after a long, busy day, when she had to be tired, to do something like this.
“Oh! Come with me.” Her eyes widened with excitement as she dragged him around a big tree to an old cracked headstone green with moss, and kneeled in front of it, tugging him down with her. Her smile was so bright that he was sure this was someone special’s grave. “This is Henry.”
“Henry?”
She traced the unreadable engraving on the headstone. “That’s what I call him. I sat here one night for a long time trying to figure out his or her real name, and as you can see, you can’t read a thing. But while I was sitting here, the name Henry came to me. So, this is Henry.”
She took the last flower out of her tote and laid it across Henry’s headstone with a sigh. Then she patted the headstone and smiled at Blue. “I’m glad you’re here with me. I’ve never brought anyone here before.” She shifted her eyes to the headstone again. “It feels good to do this, doesn’t it?”
“Better than you can imagine. I’m honored that you’re sharing this part of yourself with me.” Blue reached for her hand again, giving it a little squeeze to underscore how grateful he was to be included. He did a lot for other people, but it was rare to know someone who did for others without expecting an acknowledgment of some kind. He had a feeling there was a lot more to Lizzie than met the eye.
They walked back toward the parking lot hand in hand, and when they reached the edge of the lawn, Lizzie stopped walking and said, “I’m glad you showed up.” She smiled up at him, and like every one of her smiles, it reeled him in even more.
“I’m glad you asked.” He stepped in closer.
“I’m sorry I haven’t had a chance to change or shower or anything.”
“Lizzie, you could be covered in mud and you’d be beautiful.” He searched her eyes and saw a flicker of embarrassment. “You’re beautiful, Lizzie, no matter what you wear.” He brushed his fingers over her cheek and felt her skin heat up with his touch. He fought the urge to press his lips to hers but couldn’t keep his emotions from coming out in words.
“I want to kiss you, but I’m so afraid of scaring you off that I’m fighting it every second.” He held her gaze, not wanting to steal the kiss as he had last night. This time, he wanted her consent, needed to know she was in this, too.
“You do? You are?”
“More than you can imagine.” He wrapped her in his arms, and she gripped his shirt as she had last night. “What do you want, Lizzie? Tell me what you want.”
She took tiny steps to the side, turning them as one, until Blue was standing on the low slope of the hill and they were eye to eye.
“I want you to kiss me.” She pressed a hand flat on his chest, keeping his efforts at bay. “But only if you can promise me we won’t go further, because I don’t trust myself, and I need to know I can trust you.”
His heart squeezed. Trust was everything to him. “You’re very brave.”
“How on earth does that make me brave?”
“And so cute with your brows all pinched together. It takes courage to admit that to a guy. What if I wasn’t someone you could trust? You could be taken advantage of so easily.”
She tightened her grip on his shirt, her eyes sharp and assessing. “But you are someone I can trust. I’ve known you for a year. I know the man you are, Blue, and I trust you. That’s the whole point.”
“And what about you, Lizzie? Are you someone I can trust?”
Warmth filled her eyes. “Are you asking if I’m going to take advantage of you?”
He’d like nothing better than that, but he kept that thought to himself. “No, I mean in general. If we were dating, could I trust you?”
Her brows knitted a little tighter, and something he couldn’t read flickered in her eyes. “I’d like to think so.”
He touched her hand, which was still pressed to his chest, and she opened her fingers, lacing theirs together.
“You can always trust me, Lizzie. I’ll never do anything to hurt you.”
She went up on her toes, and when their lips were a breath apart, she said in a tremulous whisper, “Then kiss me, Blue. Please, kiss me.”
Every muscle in Blue’s body flexed as he reined in the urgency mounting inside him and pressed his lips to hers with heartrending tenderness. His mouth moved over hers, devouring its softness while trying not to ravage her with the intensity thrumming through his veins. Her hand slipped from his, settling around his waist, and as he gathered her in closer and deepened the kiss, he felt her soft, pliant curves melting against him. He moaned at the sheer pleasure of their bodies coming together. He’d waited so long to kiss her, to feel her against him. And this kiss was so much more than a second kiss.
He felt her opening up to him, giving herself over to him. She had to feel the effect she had on his body, to understand how difficult it was to be this close, knowing it wouldn’t go further, to taste his desire in every stroke of his tongue. She had to realize that it took every ounce of his self-control to keep his hands from roaming over her luscious curves. He was lost in his own reveries of Lizzie giving herself up to their kiss, but true to his word—he’d always remain true to his word to Lizzie—he forced himself to draw back, pressing soft kisses to her lips, before finally pulling away completely.
His heart thundered at the sight of her half-lidded eyes, her body free of tension, completely unguarded and relaxed. He needed more, if only another kiss, another taste, to be closer to the woman he’d dreamed of becoming one with for months on end. He brought a hand to the nape of her neck and pulled her closer again.
“Lizzie,” he whispered against her lips, needing to know she wanted this, too. Her eyes blinked open. “Do you want me to ask every time I kiss you, or do you trust me enough to let me?”
Her dimples appeared as she said, “I trust you.”
“Thank you,” he murmured before recapturing her mouth, more demanding this time. He felt her entire body sink into him, and he welcomed the heat of her as their tongues found their rhythm once again. Her mouth was even sweeter, hotter this time, like she was just as lost in him as he was in her. But he’d made a promise.
“I will never get enough of kissing you,” he said as they parted again.
“Yeah.” Her breathy whisper brought images of her saying it while lying beneath him.
It took every bit of his self-control not to take her up by the dunes and love her until neither one of them could think.
She circled her arms around his neck and pressed her cheek to his chest, and Blue knew in that moment, with the stars shining brightly above them and the sounds of the sea in the distance, that they were meant to be together.
When she drew back with a seductive look in her eyes, it took all his willpower not to kiss her again. Instead, he brushed her hair from her shoulder, needing even that small connection, and asked, “Are you ready for our outing?”
“Um…” She smiled up at him. “How about if we call it a date?”
“A date. Really? You want to go on a date with me?” He reached for her hand as they walked down the hill toward the lot.
She pushed him playfully. “You want to go on a date with me.”
He pulled her against him again and kissed her. “You’re darn right I do.”
They dropped Lizzie’s car off at her place. Before driving away from her house, Blue reached around her and lifted her across the bench seat of his truck, casually draping one arm over her shoulder as she sat, slack-jawed, gazing up at him.
“You moved me.”
“Aw, babe, you move me, too. Better put your seat belt on so we don’t get a ticket,” he said with a smile.
Lizzie put on her seat belt. “Do you do this to all your dates?”
She had no idea how special she was. He gripped the steering wheel tighter and admitted, “Actually, I’ve never done that before.”
“You literally scooped me up and moved me.” She narrowed her eyes. “It felt very practiced.”
“Seriously, I’ve never done that before. I’m not sure why I did it, but it felt right.” He started the truck, so thankful she was out with him again. “Just like this does.” He slanted his mouth over hers, immediately swept up in her taste, her scent, the sexy little sigh of surrender she made as he deepened the kiss.
“Wow,” she whispered. “Kissing you is a purely sensual experience.”
“Well, enjoy it, because that’s all you’re getting. Sensual kisses, nothing more. I made a promise to someone I respect, and I don’t intend to break it.”
She giggled, and it was the sweetest sound on earth.