Page 10 of Brooding Mountain Man

“It’s overrated,” Georgia shot back.

She tossed her skewer to the ground and snuggled up under the blanket. That put her left arm against my right one. It was under the blanket, so anyone watching from one of the windows that overlooked this area would have no idea it was happening. And that took my thoughts to other places.

“It’s not exactly the same, but I missed out on a lot as a teenager,” she said. “I had a great home life, but I sucked at the social stuff.”

I wanted to look at her again, but I kept my gaze trained on the fire. The last thing I wanted to do was make her feel self-conscious about sharing.

“You seem pretty social to me,” I said.

She laughed. “I was always good at it in the context of work. Miss Rosie hired me to work at the diner when I was sixteen, and I guess that brought me out of my shell a little, but guys still didn’t want to go out with me.”

“Well, the guys around here must be blind,” I said.

Once again, the words had slipped out without me really thinking them through. It was too late to take them back, though.

“Thank you,” she said after a brief silence. “But Seduction Summit is an extremely small town, and the schools are even smaller. It wasn’t like there were a lot of guys to choose from anyway.”

“So you didn’t date,” I said.

Why did I like that idea? I wanted this beauty all to myself. It was a ridiculous way to feel, but I couldn’t help it.

“Nope,” she said. “Everyone talks about their teenage years like they were so much fun. I spent them working and studying. I never really lived. I guess all that sounds petty compared to what you went through.”

“Not at all.” I shook my head. “I didn’t date much as a kid, but I made up for lost time in my twenties.”

She was in her twenties now. I didn’t want her to think I was some kind of man-whore who slept around, even though it was technically true. But I also wanted her to know that she could make up for lost time. I’d prefer that makeup work was done with me. But mostly, I just wanted this woman to be happy

“I’ve never even had a real kiss,” she said.

Those words sucked all the air out of my lungs. If she hadn’t had a real kiss, she hadn’t done anything beyond that. Was she a…?

“I’m a virgin,” she said in answer to my unspoken question. “My only kiss was in fifth grade during a game of spin the bottle. Mark Abbott. He was kind of a bully, and I didn’t want to kiss him, but when the bottle lands on you, you have no choice, right?”

Her first kiss was forced? And part of a game? I didn’t like that at all.

“You need a good first kiss,” I said. “The kind that takes your breath.”

Had those words actually come out of my mouth? I thought them, but somehow they’d made it past the filter and spilled right out into the open air.

“Are you offering?” she asked.

I looked over at her then and our eyes met. There was only one answer to that question, but I didn’t give it. Instead, my gaze dropped to her mouth and I began leaning toward her.

Her response meant everything. If she backed away, that would be the end of things. If she didn’t move, I’d wait for her to meet me halfway. If she never moved, the answer would be a “no” too.

But I’d barely made it a couple of inches in her direction before she leaned toward me. This was on.

5

GEORGIA

I’d pictured my first real kiss many times over the years. I’d imagined it happening on prom night, overlooking a scenic view up in the mountains, and so many other places. But I’d never once pictured that a good kiss would make any location romantic.

This happened to be somewhat romantic, though. We were seated in front of a campfire, bellies full of delicious food and chocolate.

The kiss started out slow and sweet, but within seconds it escalated. I wasn’t sure if I’d done that or he had. But when I felt his hand on my jawline, I could have swooned at the romance of it all.

On impulse, I snaked my tongue out slightly to meet his, and he moaned as a result. That sent warmth spiraling through me and landing directly in the space between my legs.

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