Page 10 of All Inn Thyme
The music picks up again, and I lean in, whispering into her ear, “I’m glad you weren’t too busy to be here tonight.”
“Me too,” she says, her eyes on my mouth again. I pull her closer, but she lays her head on my chest during a slow song. It seems like we’ve been dancing forever, and I don’t want to stop.
“Would you want to go out sometime?” I ask boldly.
She looks like she wants to say yes, but instead she says, “I want to, but my life is about to get even busier.” Something tells me this isn’t the reason, more that she’s scared or nervous to start something new. I’m terrified myself, but damn if I don’t want to explore this chemistry with her. She feels intoxicating to be with, in the best way possible.
“Well,” I shrug, “I guess I’ll just have to help you garden,” I say as I spin her around. Now her back is pressed up against me and she throws her head back and laughs. And just as I suspected, she has a beautiful laugh, too. Everything I’m seeing about Mellie so far is just pulling me in. She’s a damn dream.
“You did say you have gardening experience. I don’t know… You could be useful.” She folds her hands around the back of my neck, and for a minute, I picture us not here on this dance floor but somewhere where it’s just us.
“I can beveryuseful,” I flirt, pulling her closer to me as a slow song begins to play. I’ve lost track of how many songs we’ve danced to, forgotten about ordering dinner or our friends probably watching us from the table. I know nothing except for this woman and this woman only.
Her eyes lock on mine, and for a second, I almost lean in and kiss her, but I don’t want to rush things with her. I want to get to know her more. She’s quiet, mysterious, and perceptive. I want her to let me into her busy world. Whatever I have to do to get to know her more, I’ll take my time and make sure I do it right.
Mellie leans even farther into me as we dance. It feels good to hold her, and I don’t want the song to end.
She pulls back a little and says, “Thanks, Ty.”
“For what?”
“For being kind to me. You seem like a nice guy.”
I push a piece of her long hair back from her face and tuck it behind her ear and kiss her cheek. “I try to be a nice guy.”
“I don’t trust people very easily,” she whispers into my ear.
I nod, realizing I’d read her nerves right. “It’s okay. Not everyone should be trusted. You should make people earn it. How can I earnyourtrust?” I tow her off the dance floor and tuck her into a quiet corner of the bar, just out of sight of our friends.
She murmurs into my ear above the loud music, “I don’t know. But you seem to be doing just fine so far.”
“Oh, yeah?” I grin down at her, my eyes on her mouth that is looking mighty kissable right about now. All my holding back is about to go out the window.
“Are you going to kiss me or what?” Her lip turns up in a small smirk.
“You want me to?” I ask, surprised by her boldness.
“Yeah,” she says softly, tilting her head up.
I pull her into me, my lips hitting her soft ones. She leans in and kisses me back firmly, passionately, and her arms wrap around my back and travel up to my neck.
My hands cup her face and I pull her in closer and kiss her until I feel like I’ve lost my mind a bit. She smells amazing, a mixture of vanilla and coconut, and I like it. Kissing her is like lying in the sand on a warm beach, drinking an iced-cold beer.
We finally pull out of the kiss, slow at first, like magnets trying to disconnect.
“Wow,” she breathes.
“Wow,” I say back like an idiot.
“I’m complicated, Ty.”
“Good.”
“How is that good?”
“Complicated doesn’t scare me.” I kiss her again until I about forget my own name, and the way she kisses me back, I have a feeling she’s forgotten hers, too. All I know is that I don’t want to stop kissing this woman.
4. mellie
