Page 43 of The Valentine's Bet

And then he threads his fingers through my hair. Brushes his nose against mine.

I catch my breath...

And then his lips capture mine.

They’re hesitant—I’mhesitant—as he lingers there. But as if it’s an instinct, I part my lips ever so slightly, my hands landing on his chest. His tongue runs along my bottom lip, and I feelsomany things exploding in my chest, warming up my entirebody.

I find myself lost in the taste of champagne on his lips and the scent of his cologne. I cling to his jacket as he threads an arm around my waist, pulling me closer to him. Our kiss deepens, and while I don’t know what I’m doing, it feelsgood.Parker’s thumb brushes my cheek, his touch burning against my skin as his tongue intertwines with mine. It’s intimate, it’s passionate, and...

Then he pulls away.

“Happy New Year, Amy.” He clears his throat and steps back.

I can still feel him on my lips, and I bite down on my lower one, trying to catch my breath. “Yeah... Yeah. You, too.”

“Now you can slow down on your chase,” he says, pulling the front door open for me. “You’ve been kissed once, so the second won’t be as big of a big deal.”

If it’s anything like that, it will be.

“Okay...” My voice comes out awkwardly as I step through the doorway, feeling lightheaded as my heart pounds in my chest. I can still feel his hands on my body—and for some reason, Iwantthem there again.

Is this what always happens when you kiss someone?

I steal a glance over at Parker, who’s quiet as we step onto the elevator. He taps the button for my floor, and I want to say something, but I can’t find the words. My mind’s too full of images of him touching me like that again...

“Please don’t let that kiss make things weird between us,” Parker says as the doors slide open. He gestures for me to step out in front of him. “It’s just that ... you were really disappointed earlier aboutmissing out on your first kiss, so I was just trying to be a good friend and make it up to you.”

“Right,” I say, clearing my throat.But do good friends kiss you likethat?“A kiss on New Year’s Eve means good luck, too. So, there’s that.”

He chuckles, stopping just outside of my apartment door. “Well, I can’t say that my kisses are good luck, but hopefully it checked the box on your list.”

I laugh and push my hair behind my ear. “I don’t have a list.”

“Ah, right. Well, that’s a little surprising...” he says as I punch in the code and open the door. “Have a good night, Amy.”

I turn, meeting his gaze—and still trying to catch my breath. “You, too.”

Chapter Fourteen

Parker

“Parker, are you listening to me?” My boss, Raymond, a tall, middle-aged man with salt-and-pepper hair, interrupts my thoughts.

I shift in my seat, tearing my gaze away from the window and refocusing on him. “Sorry about that, boss. Could you repeat what you were saying?”

He narrows his eyes at me. “You seem distracted lately. Is everything alright?”

I quickly nod and offer a reassuring smile. “Everything’s fine.”

“Good, because we have a big project coming up, and I need you on top of your game. As I was saying, a client has asked us to developan app that tells moviegoers the best time to take a bathroom break without missing important scenes. I want you to take the lead on its development.”

I nod, struggling to conceal the perplexed expression on my face.

A bathroom break app?

It’s certainly a unique request. And maybe even ridiculous, but who am I to judge?

I diligently scribble down the absurd project specifications. The app is apparently meant to alert you thirty seconds before the perfect “toilet break,” and if you decide to leave the room, it’ll give you a summary of what you missed while you were doing your business.

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