Page 52 of That One Heartbreak

They’d take this at her pace, no matter how glacial it was. He wasn’t going to mess things up now.

“Where would we go?” she asked him.

“Not to the restaurant you just came from.” And yeah, there was a bit of petulance in his voice. Not directed at her though. At him.

Because he might be mild-mannered but it didn’t mean he liked the thought of her dating another man.

“If we go anywhere around here people will talk.”

“We can go to another town. Or you can come to my place. Whatever you feel most comfortable with.”

“Do you cook?” she asked him, tipping her head to the side.

“Of course I cook. Do I look like I’m starving?”

She grinned, running her hands up his arms, squeezing the muscles there. “No.”

“Then yes. I can cook. I’ll cook for you if you want. Any time.”

She was smiling now. And fuck if that didn’t make him want her more. She leaned in closer, so her lips were feathering against his. “A date sounds good. It’s a yes. But right now I need you to kiss me again.”

The library was quiet on Monday morning. Which was annoying because it meant Kate was alone with her thoughts and they were chaotic. They had been since her date.

Or more specifically, since after the date. The hours spent laying on the Adirondack in the nighttime air had taken a toll on her mind and body. She couldn’t stop thinking about the way he’d felt – so thick and strong beneath her. Or the way he’d kissed her, like she was the sweetest piece of fruit that he was addicted to.

When she’d gotten up the next morning her lips were swollen like they’d been stung. She had to make up some stupid story for the kids that she’d eaten some shellfish she was mildly allergic to.

That hadn’t explained the redness on her face as a result of stubble burn from Marley’s kisses, but at least she’d been able to hide that with a judicious application of makeup.

But now the door to the library was opening and there he was, walking into the foyer, wearing a pair of old, faded jeans and a navy fire department t-shirt.

As soon as he saw her standing behind the counter his lips curled into a smile that she felt deep inside her body. He strode toward her with an easy gait, as though he hadn’t spent hours a few nights ago plundering her mouth with his.

“Hi.” Marley leaned on the counter. His arms were tan from all the outdoor working he did. The tiny hairs on his skin were bleached by the sun. She could see the tautness of his tendons beneath his skin.

“Hi.” She felt breathless. Like a teenager talking to a crush. “Aren’t you supposed to be at work?”

“Waiting on a delivery at the site.” He reached out to slide his hand into hers. “I’ve come into town to grab lunch for everybody .”

“What are you planning to feed them?” she asked him, inclining her head at the shelves. “Books?”

Marley grinned. The little lines at the corners of his eyes did something to her. “Nope. I already put the order in at the diner, so I decided to come visit my favorite librarian while I wait. Plus, you owe me an answer.”

Because she hadn’t confirmed their date. “I can’t get a babysitter,” she told him. And yeah, she felt disappointed by that. Shana had a date herself on Friday and was busy on Saturday. “Maybe the next weekend?”

“That’s too long.” His blue eyes met hers. And of course her gaze dipped to his lips again. Remembering how they made her feel.

How hot they got on that chair together.

“I’ll bring dinner over for you on Friday night,” he said firmly.

“You’ll have to bring dinner for five of us. The kids will be there.”

“I know. I’ll bring pizza. We can watch a movie.”

“And then what? We make out on the couch next to them?” She shook her head, trying to imagine her kids’ reactions to that. Addy would probably fall asleep. Ethan would try to ignore them. James would be apoplectic.

No, that wasn’t going to work.

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