Page 31 of Melody

But she wasnotgoing to invite him in, regardless of what her feminine parts were begging her to do.

He asked, “Can I kiss you goodbye?”

“I wish you would.”

Without hesitation, Kyle bent over, placing her box of food and the print on the floor, and then he cupped her cheeks in his hands. She’d expected them to be cold but they were only slightly cool. His pupils had dilated, signaling an ancient response deep in her belly, and her stomach fluttered as he lowered his lips to hers. In response, she closed her eyes as his warm lips brushed hers. As his tongue flicked her lip, she felt his stubble against her cheek, and she opened her mouth to invite him in.

It was like the hit of a drug.

Her entire body ignited, tingling and alive, as their tongues danced together for the very first time. He tasted much like she’d expected, delicious and masculine, and the way his hands held her face made her feel…protected.

And how would she be able to say no when her body was screaminghell, yes? Her heart was thudding in her chest as if she’d just run around the block, and her panties had grown so wet, it almost felt like she’d peed her pants.

How long had it been?

When Kyle removed his lips from hers, it took her a moment to open her eyes and try to breathe normally.

He was even better looking than before.

But no.

“I’ll call you tomorrow.” Bending over again, he picked up her things and handed them to her.

“Okay.” The word had barely come out as a breath, but his eyes understood.

She didn’t go inside until, down the hall, he turned to take the stairs, giving her a quick wave of his hand before disappearing into the stairwell. It wasn’t until then that she inserted the key into the lock, difficult because her hands were trembling.

How had he had that effect on her?

She didn’t know but one thing she knew for certain: Kyle Horton was a good guy, completely the opposite of Tommy. He’d just proven it by respecting her wishes. And so she knew, despite her plans for the future and despite her best judgment, she would most definitely say yes to a second date.

CHAPTER 12

As she often did, Scarlett was walking around the neighborhoods in Silver City north of Main Street. Although there were businesses on a couple of streets in that direction, the residential area began there and spread out as she continued walking. While most of the homes closer to the west end of town where she lived and worked seemed small and some of them rundown, the more she walked east, the nicer the homes became—old Victorian houses over a century old, well maintained by owners who could afford the costs.

A few of them had probably been at that art exhibit the night before.

As usual, she was taking her walk mid-afternoon, but because she didn’t have to work that night, she was spending more time outdoors than she usually had time for. She’d discovered years ago that getting outside helped her feel more grounded, allowed her to release pent-up emotions. She could think without interruption or even just let her mind wander, and she often felt better after a good, long walk.

It was cheaper than therapy.

Thinking that brought her mind back to Kyle again—although his memory really hadn’t left it since he’d walked downthe stairs in her apartment building last night. He’d surprised her over and over again in the best of ways…and she couldn’t believe she was actually thinking about taking another step.

That kiss…

When she felt her phone vibrate against her hand in her coat pocket, she wondered if Al might be calling her in to work tonight. He’d only done it once before when one of the servers had been sick, and Scarlett had made even more tips than usual taking drinks to tables. Granted, she had to share a little bit of it with the bartenders that evening, but she’d still walked out with more.

If he asked, she wouldn’t hesitate.

But when she looked at the screen, it saidKyle, not Al.

When she answered, she simply said, “Hey! I didn’t expect you to call.”

“I told you I would.”

“Yeah, but…”

“Nobuts. I had a good time and you said you did too, so there’s no reason to put off talking.”

---