Page 37 of Once Kissed

“Ah, nothing. I think I left my lights on.”

She glances out the window and in the direction of the lot. “Aren’t they automatic?”

Shit again. “Yeah. They are.” I push my milkshake closer to her. “Here. Try it. It’s vanilla with chunks of pineapple.”

She pauses, but then lifts the glass and takes a sip, dripping the ice cream against her lips. And man, I swear that’s the last thing I need to see. She laughs and licks her lips. Okay, scratch what I said.That’sthe last thing I need to see.

“Sorry, I don’t mean to be so messy.” She licks her lips again. And again.

Aw, hell. I dive into my food like Ma’s life depends on it. “May I have some more?” she asks in her sexy voice.

“Baby, take every last swallow.” I cringe when I realize how that sounded, only to swear out loud again when she looks at me like I’m nuts.

“Thank you,” she says, quietly.

We don’t speak again until the end of the meal. With the exception of a few pieces of bread and some chips, Tess ate the whole thing, albeit in that careful way of hers.

I steal a chip from her plate and munch. She keeps quiet with her hands wrapped around her glass of iced tea. “Food okay?” I ask her.

She tries to smile. “It was delicious. Thank you.”

“Then what’s up?” I ask, aware that something is.

“Well, I’ve been giving a lot of thought to the night we…you know.”

I roll my eyes. “Tell me about it. We fucked like gorillas.”

Her jaw pops open. “Curran.That’s so offensive!”

“Sorry,” I offer. “I didn’t mean to call you a gorilla.”

For a second there, I’m not sure if she’s going to throat-punch me. But I can’t hide my smirk, and she can’t hide her laugh. Okay. Good. We’re headed in the right direction. The proper direction. The one that doesn’t involve me hooking the crotch of her panties with my finger and ripping them off her.

I rub my face.Christ.

She shoves my shoulder playfully. Well, at least she tries to. It’s a cute move. Too cute. Damn, I want her.

She shakes her head. “Officer O’Brien, you have absolutely no class.”

“I’m the classiest guy you’ll ever meet, angel face.”

She takes a sip of her tea. “Somehow I doubt that.”

Her smile returns when she places her glass back on the checkered tablecloth, lighting her perfect features. It’s then I realize there’s no going back.

So I go for it.

“Why do you have a problem with what happened between us?”

Her stare falls to the table. “You know why. It’s not the sort of behavior I ever engaged in.” She lowers her voice. “And I deeply regret it.”

Her thick lashes brush against her lenses as she waits for me to speak. The color’s returned to her cheeks, and her hair falls around her shoulders in sensual waves. Goddamnshe’s beautiful.

I pinch the bridge of my nose and tell myself,Self, you just need to calm your shit and move on. Tell her it’s all good and not to worry.That you’ve forgotten all about that night and haven’t given it another thought. Well, given I’m kind of an asshole, and I don’t listen to assholes, I ignore me.

I lean forward so my face is only a few inches from hers. “Did you like it?”

She lifts her chin. “What?”

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