Page 38 of More Than a Little Spark

“I will.Parker and Kent both know we’re dating, and they handled things.I’ll return the favor when they need time off.”

Hands on the front of my shirt, Daphne inches up on her toes.“You’ve probably noticed that I’m not shy about stating what I want.I do have a filter, which may seem surprising since I let so much through.But you’d be shocked at what I don’t say.Anyway, getting back to what I want.”

“What’s that?”I tuck a lock of hair behind her ear.

Her gaze drops to my lips, then bounces back up.“It’s Valentine’s Day, and this has been an incredibly romantic date.The cherry on the top would be if you?—”

I’m not always the quickest when it comes to hints, but I’m learning to understand Daphne.So I lean in and touch my lips to hers.

Pressing in closer, she grabs my shirt in her fists.

The wind kicks up as I deepen the kiss.While I haven’t kissed a ton of women, I’ve kissed a few.No other kiss has felt like this.

Raindrops patter through the branches and slap me on top of the head.Rain?Now?The timing is inconvenient.Last time I looked at the sky, there wasn’t even a hint of rain.

I pull back.“I should get you back to the truck.”

Shaking her head, Daphne pulls me back to her.“No, you should kiss me again.It’s not like we’ll melt.”

I don’t need convincing.I spin her around and lean over, trying to protect her from the pelting rain.

Our lips dance while the inconvenient cloud pounds me with rain.As the kiss continues, I forget about the rain, the ranch.Everything.It’s just me, Daphne, and this electrical connection.

When Daphne breaks the kiss, I realize that the hair on my arms is standing tall.

While I can’t deny the sparks between us, I think I misinterpreted the electrical connection.And I do not want to be under a tree when lightning strikes.“We need to go.”

She leans up and gives me a quick peck.“But the rain stopped.”

“I didn’t notice.I was too focused on other things.”I wink, then snap out of my attraction-fueled haze.This is not the time for flirting.“Feel the air?I think we’re going to get lightning.We need to find a safe spot.”

She touches her arm.“Oh!I just thought it was because of the kiss.”After clasping my hand, she scans the ground.“We can pick up where we left off in the truck.”

The sudden burst of rain has turned the path to mud.“Good plan.Grab my neck.I’ll carry you to the truck.”I scoop her into my arms.

Daphne sighs.“This is so romantic.”

The halt in the rain was only temporary, and it’s pouring as I hurry across the creek.

When we get to my truck, I open the door and help her in.“Let me grab the blanket and other stuff.I’ll be right back.”

“Be careful.”

I drop the tailgate and shove everything into the bed.The cover will keep it from getting any wetter.Not that it matters much because it’s already soaked.

Then I slide in behind the wheel and start the engine so that I can get the heat going.Now that I’m wet, I’m a bit chilly.Daphne must be downright cold.

She reaches over and clasps my hand.“I’ve been worried that too many good things were happening, and that life would rain on my parade.And what do you know, it rained, and I loved it.There’s a lesson in that somewhere, I think.”

“I’m going to feel bad if you catch a cold.And hopefully your new pillows aren’t ruined.”

“For that kiss, totally worth it.”She stretches across the console and meets my lips.“That is exactly what I wanted.And I’m not trying to rush you because I know you wanted to take things slow, but…” She shrugs like she isn’t sure how to finish the sentence.

“I get it.And my feelings are making it hard to maintain the slow part.I like you.A lot.Which I’m hoping is obvious.But I’m not ready for Fred to know I’m dating anyone.It’s not that I don’t trust you or?—”

She presses a finger to my lips.“I get it.And I’m not asking you to rush that.Not at all.Whenever you’re ready is fine with me.Sneaking around is kind of fun.”

“Thank you.This is all brand-new territory for me.”

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