Page 96 of Housebroke

She looked over at him and nodded. “Sounds good.”

There was a walkway by the water, and every quarter mile or so there were benches where you could sit. Linc sat them down at the first bench where they could watch the lightning across the water.

There were so many things she wanted to say to Linc. Spill out all her fears, and talk about how she felt about him. In detail. But she couldn’t make the words come out.

“Thank you for dinner,” she finally said, knowing it was woefully inadequate.

“It was good, wasn’t it?”

“Exceptionally good. And totally extravagant. I mean, we could have gone somewhere else. You don’t have to impress me with fancy dinners. It’s not like you’re a millionaire, you know.”

He coughed. “Hey, it was just one night out, right?”

“I guess so.”

“And I said we needed to talk. I didn’t want to do that at a greasy burger joint.”

Her lips curved upward. “I like greasy burger joints.”

He grinned. “Me, too. But tonight was special.”

“You’re not going to propose or anything, are you?”

He laughed. “No. Not yet, anyway.”

Now it was her turn to cough, because her breath had momentarily left her body. “Just for future reference, I am nowhere near ready to get married again.”

“Duly noted. I’ll table the proposal for some random date in the far future.”

“You are a vicious tease, Lincoln Kennedy.”

He picked up her hand and pressed a kiss to the back of it. “And you are too beautiful for words, Hazel Bristow. Is it all right if I kiss you? I promise no proposal implied.”

“Yes. Definitely kiss me.”

He leaned in and brushed his lips across hers. She sighed into the kiss, and he drew her into his arms, opening his mouth, his tongue sliding inside to flick against hers.

She wanted him. Right now, on this bench, with the wind whipping around them and thunder rolling in the distance.

But then he pulled back. “Storm’s getting closer.”

She swept her hand across his jaw. “I’ll say.”

He let out a husky laugh, then stood, taking her with him. “Come on, let’s go home.”

He hadn’t been kidding about the storm getting closer. They’d no more than gotten inside the car when the skies opened, dumping heavy rain and wind, the thunder cracking so loud it seemed as if it was trying to get them.

She’d never feared storms; in fact, she loved them fiercely. They always revved her up, and tonight’s was no different.

“We might have to sit here for a while,” Linc said, staring out the windshield. “Can’t even see to drive.”

She reached over and walked her fingertips down his arm. “Whatever will we do while we wait?”

He arched a brow. “Seriously? Here?”

“What? Suddenly shy?”

Before she knew what was happening, he grabbed her and pulled her over to his seat, at the same time pushing his seat all the way back, giving her room to straddle him.

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