Page 459 of Small Town Firsts
I shook off the thought and braced for impact as the dog came at me.
Danny headed after him. “Trouble, no!”
His father was faster and scooped up the wriggling chocolate lab puppy just before he could jump on me. “Sorry, not for you, idiot.”
I laughed. “Good save.” I slumped against my car.
Sully handed the dog to Danny. “Can you go feed him? We’re going to eat at Gram’s in twenty.”
Danny nodded and took off with the dog who wiggled until he could look over Danny’s shoulder at me. His big tongue rolling out, giving him a goofy smile.
He took the box from me. “You didn’t have to bring anything.”
“My mom would roll in her grave.” I tucked the flowers in the crook of my arm.
“I was sorry to hear about your mom.”
“Yeah, I know. Always knew the cigarettes would get her.”
“Still sucks.” He moved into my space, his boots touching the tips of my shoes. He set the box on the hood of my car. “You look incredible.”
The surprising tug intensified from this afternoon. When he’d caged me in against the doorway, I’d been stunned stupid. Now I wasn’t doing much better. “Thanks,” I whispered.
“Mom will like the flowers,” he said, lowering his head.
“That’s good.”
“Think I’m going to try kissing you, Nora.”
“I think I might like that.”
“Good.” His breath teased my lips a moment before he bridged the gap.
At first, I didn’t know what to do. I’d only kissed two men in my life, and the first one had been a clumsy moment when I was eleven. The other had been my ex.
Booker had been so confident, I’d just been tossed into the current of his overwhelming presence.
Nothing like this.
Sullivan teased my lips apart with a soft sweep of his tongue. But instead of taking over, he lured me in. The kiss was sweet and easy as a spring day. His fingers slid along my waist to tug me away from the car and against him. Distantly, I heard the crunch of cellophane from the flowers, but I ignored it in favor of his taste.
He deepened the kiss, and my heart throbbed in my ears andlower.
So much lower.
I lifted my free hand to tunnel through his hair, dragging him in tighter.
His fingers twisted in the sundress I was wearing, then they gripped the curve of my hip to pull me flush against him. I dropped the flowers, and wrapped my other arm around his neck, going up on my toes.
He tasted of mint and sunshine and heat.
I didn’t know heat had a taste, but Sullivan Murdock definitely did. I’d been so afraid I was broken. That I would never feel something for a man again.
Indifference had been the whole of my life for so damn long.
Sully broke the kiss and tipped his head back. “Damn, Nora.”
I smiled up at him. “Is that a gooddamn?”
