Page 10 of March’s Bad Boy: Ty

His expression shifts, amusement darkening into something more intense. When his gaze drops to my mouth, my heart starts pounding.

"There's only one way to find out," he murmurs.

I can't think or breathe. The air between us crackles with anticipation. I don't even know who moves first, but suddenly, he's right there, so close our noses brush.

He hesitates for just a second like he's giving me time to back away but I'm not going to. Because even though I shouldn’t, I want this. Then his lips are on mine.

It's slow at first, almost hesitant, as if we're testing the waters. But the second I respond, Ty deepens it, one hand sliding to my waist, the other cupping my jaw like he's trying to memorize every inch of me.

Wrapping my arms around his neck, I pull him into me. That's when I feel how hard he is against my stomach. I gasp against his mouth, and he takes advantage, kissing me deeper, his grip tightening. Heat rushes through me, leaving me dizzy and breathless.

When we finally break apart, he rests his forehead against mine, breathing hard.

"Kara," he rasps.

My name on his lips sends a full-body shiver through me.

His thumb brushes over my lower lip, his voice rough. "You're not a bad kisser."

I laugh, breathless. "Good to know."

I want to kiss him again. I want to do more than kiss him.

Then reality crashes back. Not only is he my best friend, but he is doing this because I have a date with someone else.

I pull away, swallowing hard. "I... I should go."

Something flickers in his expression, but he nods. "Yeah."

I grab my jacket, hesitating at the door. "Thanks for the lesson."

Ty smirks, but it doesn't reach his eyes. "Anytime."

When I step outside, the cold air bites my heated skin. My heart is still racing, my lips are still tingling.

And as I walk to my car, I realize something terrifying.

I don't want to go on my date tomorrow night.

I just want my best friend.

I'm ready for my date and look out the window to finally see his car pull up... ten minutes late.

I take a deep breath and step away from the window, waiting on him to come to the door. When he knocks, I paste on a fake smile and open the door. He's wearing what looks like clothes he wore to the office, khakis and a polo shirt. No flowers, either.

His eyes roam over me, and I'm glad I went for jeans and a sparkly blouse like Caitlin suggested.

"You look nice," David says before stepping to the side. "Shall we?"

Nice? I look nice. I force back a sigh, grabbing my jacket and putting it on as I walk to his car. He doesn't open the car door for me, but at least he left it running, so it's warm when I get inside.

The entire drive into Flathead, he talks about his work and his job as an analyst. It's all about him. His job. His projects. His goals. I nod, feigning interest, but my mind drifts to Ty. His teasing, his warmth, and especially, the way he made me feel seen.

We get to the Flathead Steakhouse, and the drive seems even longer than the one with Ty to Whitefish, which is twice as far.

Once at the restaurant, he doesn't open my car door, but he does hold the restaurant door open for me. But that’s about where his gentlemanly manners end. He doesn’t pull out my chair or even look up from the menu to find out what I'd like to drink. So I just order water. I get a feeling tonight is not the night to have any alcohol. The whole time he just keeps talking like I'm an audience instead of a date. Not a single question about me.

"Excuse me, I'm going to use the restroom," I say during one of his breaks.

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