Page 67 of Up All Night

The kiss that would have changed things drastically between Halle and me.

I couldn’t say what had happened there on her balcony. One minute we had been talking, then she was challenging me, and the next thing I knew I was a fraction of a second from kissing her.

If we hadn’t been interrupted, I would have closed the remaining distance and kissed her the way I’d been wanting to for far longer than I would honestly admit. I would have pulled her into me, picking her up a couple inches so she wouldn’t have to crane her neck to kiss me. I would have slid my hands into her hair, feeling her silky strands between my fingers. Then if she was enjoying it as much as I was, I would have deepened the kiss. I would have peppered her jaw with kisses as I made my way to her slender neck, kissing her below her ear hoping to hear a breathy moan escape her lips.

Yeah, it was probably a good thing I hadn’t kissed her.

I couldn’t even control myself in my thoughts, let alone if I got to kiss her for real.

And what would that have done to our relationship? I couldn’t go kissing Halle if I didn’t have any plans to pursue her. I’d been caught up in the moment, our bodies so close, and the fiery look in her blue eyes had drawn me in faster than I knew was possible. But the last thing I wanted was to lead her on.

I’d been mad at myself afterwards. I didn’t want to hurt Halle or ruin our new friendship. She was amazing and didn’t deserve a guy messing around with her when he wasn’t in a place to date, and especially not to commit.

Just because my feelings for her were starting to change didn’t mean I had changed my mind about focusing on work and work only. I didn’t have time for something more than a friendship.

Hanging out with her all day today should help.

I ran both hands over my face. What had I gotten myself into? The more time I spent with Halle, the more I wanted to be with her. The more I wanted to be with her, the more I would lose sight of my goal of proving to my dad I was capable of running Vanderhall Capital one day. And I couldn’t lose sight of that goal. I just couldn’t.

So today I’d focus on being friendsonlywith Halle. No repeats of an almost kiss. I’d stick to showing her that planning was superior to not planning. I wouldn’t get caught up in the way she made me laugh, or how she helped me let loose and have fun, or how beautiful she was, especially when she would smile up at me with that playful spark in her eyes.

I reached over and grabbed my phone off the nightstand to turn off the alarm before it went off. So much for sleeping in until 6:50 a.m. today like I usually do on Saturdays. I’d been up for at least the past twenty minutes thinking about Halle.

I got out of bed and put on some workout clothes for my morning run. I’d barely finished brushing my teeth when there was a knock at the front door. Cannon was still sleeping, so I went to open the door.

Halle stood there in one of my favorites of her matching workout outfits, the light pink looking great against her skin. Her hair was pulled up in a high ponytail, exposing her neck and collarbone in a way that made me want to pull her into my arms and finish what we had almost started on her balcony.

So much for focusing on our friendship. I couldn’t even see her neck without wanting to kiss it. What was going on with me?

“Negative one point for planning,” she said, folding her arms across her chest.

My eyes dipped down, her crossed arms accentuating the cleavage she was showing. Quickly I raised my gaze to hers.

Pull it together, West.

Friend. She was my friend. My friend who I did not want to kiss or see how good it would feel to have her in my arms. Nope, definitely didn’t want that.

I wasn’t sure how long I could keep lying to myself, but I just needed to make it through this day. It was one day, for heaven’s sake. I was a grown adult, not some hormonal teenage boy.

“How is it already at negative points?” I asked, hoping she didn’t see any of my thoughts on my face.

“Waking up early on a Saturday? How is that not a negative?” she asked, the disbelief in her voice evident.

I crossed my arms, mimicking her pose. “Don’t you usually wake up early on Saturday to teach your spin class?”

“Yes, but that’s because I have to go to work,” she said, sounding exasperated at how I wasn’t understanding. “If I didn’t, there is no way I would voluntarily wake up early.”

She’d gotten Ben to cover her spin class for the next two Saturdays so we could do the challenge, saying he owed her after she covered for him for three weeks.

“Nothing like a run to lift your spirits,” I said with a cheeky grin.

She scowled at me. “Let’s get this over with.”

I stepped out and closed the door behind me. “After running a few miles, you’ll be feeling energized and thanking me for getting you out to enjoy the great outdoors.”

“I can enjoy the great doors in the afternoon on my balcony,” she mumbled.

I chuckled. Okay, so she wasn’t a natural morning person. Got it.

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