Page 38 of Too Much In Common
Fifteen seconds was all it took for the brownie to heat. Fifteen of the longest seconds known to man. Chris spent all of them wondering if she would accept his kiss. He leaned forward, and her lips parted as the microwave dinged. The single beep was all it took to break the spell pulling them together. Tian spun out of his arms and into action, retrieving the ice cream from her freezer.
Had he been reading her wrong?
Tian got out two spoons. At least she wasn’t dividing the dessert into two bowls. They sat at the bar and shared the brownie.
“This is amazing! I was disappointed it didn’t come with chocolate sauce, but this brownie doesn’t need it.” Tian turned her spoon over in her mouth to clean it off.
How was he not supposed to think of kissing her now? “If you think this is good, you should have it straight out of the oven.”
“If that is an invitation—yes.”
“And they say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.”
“This isn’t food, it’s ambrosia.” She took another bite, leaving him with the last one.
He lifted the plate and used his spoon to point to her. Tian shook her head, Chris took the last gooey bite.
Tian set down her spoon and watched him. “You have a little above your lip.”
Chris tried to lick it off, which made her giggle.
“No right here.” She touched the spot with her finger. Chris froze as she slipped off her stool and stood before him, her finger still at the corner of his mouth. Standing next to him while he sat on the stool put their eyes at the same level. As she dropped her hand onto his shoulder, her mouth curved into a smile. Her light touch pinned him in place more solidly than he had ever been pinned on a sparring mat. Her eyes flitted to his, then to his mouth.
She leaned forward and pressed her lips to his. She tasted of brownies and something sweeter. Chris placed a hand on her hip, hoping she’d stay long enough for him to figure it out. Tian lifted her head a mere inch, ending the kiss. “Better than the brownie.”
“Are you sure?” Chris urged her closer and captured her lips again. He kept the kiss light, letting her lead. They hadn’t gone on a real date yet.
This time, when she pulled back, she stepped away, dropping her hand to his arm. Chris removed his hand from her hip, wondering what would happen next. He would not apologize and she better not either.
“I don’t usually... not on the first... or is it second...”
Chris raised a finger to her lips to stop her from stammering. “I didn’t think you did. But please don’t regret it.”
She straightened. “I don’t. And I would do it again.”
“Really?”
She blushed deeply. “I mean first kiss with you.”
“A few minutes ago, you called me your boyfriend. I know it was to warn that guy off...”
“I don’t do casual or meaningless, despite my career stereotype.”
“I know.” Chris ran his hand down her arm, stopping when he intertwined his fingers with hers. “And I don’t like to play games. As far as I’m concerned, we started something that has commitment in it.”
Her eyes widened.
“Girlfriend.” Chris tugged her hand, pulling her into another kiss.
11
Tian spentdays planning her next forty-eight hours. The last time she’d been in Hawaii, she’d just graduated from high school. Dad had taken her as a graduation present. He’d spent most of the week entertaining wife-to-never-be while leaving Tian to explore on her own. So she’d already seen the Pearl Harbor National Memorial. Last time, she’d been intrigued with the ads for the Polynesian Cultural Center on the north end of the island. Instead, her father had taken her to a luau run by the hotel. He’d disappeared halfway through, leaving her to fend off the advances of more than one man.
The long uneventful flight left her more than a little tired. The shuttle van waited to take her and the other two pilots to the hotel. The flight attendants had already left, most likely for a different hotel. Tian didn’t mind that she would spend much of the next day and a half on her own. Growing up the way she had made her either independent, introverted, or a loner, depending on who described her. Fortunately, she’d had enough sense of adventure to experience what she could when it was offered. Hotel rooms, with a few exceptions, were rarely meant to be enjoyed for more than their utility. She claimed her key and found her room. Not surprising, it had no view of the ocean; however it was clean and cheery, and thankfully showed no signs of bedbugs.
She changed into her swimsuit, basketball shorts, and a t-shirt. A lava-lava for herself and chocolate-covered macadamia nuts for her roommates were the only two purchases she planned to make on the island. She might add a third if she found something for Chris. A hula girl for his dashboard was fun and flirty. She opened her phone.
Tian: Landed and settled in. No coat needed. Heading to the beach.
