Page 49 of So Right
“Yeah, me too, but I think it’ll be okay. You heard what Dana said. It’s not historically significant.” She narrowed her eyes slightly. “I don’t think that’s all, though. I think things are awkward now. Between us.”
It sounded terrible when she said it out loud. He was an adult. He could take rejection. “I’m sorry. I was disappointed.” Except the emotion wasn’t past tense, and he didn’t know when it would be.
“I know. Me too. Which is stupid. If I’m disappointed, I could just change my mind, right?” She dropped her hands to her sides and stepped toward him. She was uphill, so he had to look up at her. “I never thought I’d want to date anyone again. After… I saw a therapist for a long time, and she said I might never be ready for a relationship again, but that it was up to me to try. If that’s what I wanted.” She sucked in a breath. “And… I do.”
She wanted a relationship? With him? He didn’t want to guess. He took a step so that his eyes were on level with her chin. “Are you saying you want me?”
She edged forward, coming down so that they were eye to eye. “I am saying that. I just want to be honest with you. I’m a mess. I don’t know how this is going to work, but I’m willing to try. You said you have a lot of patience, and I hope that’s true.”
Joy unspooled inside him, and he couldn’t contain a smile. He also couldn’t keep from touching her. He slid his hands around her waist and pulled her against him.
“Yep, I happen to have scads of patience. A lifetime supply, in fact. I also have very good brakes. We’ll go as slow as you want. And if you need to stop—at any time for any reason—we can do that too.” He looked into her eyes, inspired by her courage. “You’re an extraordinary woman, Kelsey. I don’t fully comprehend what you’ve gone through, but I hope you’ll tell me at some point.” He reached up and traced his hand along her hairline, inadvertently touching her scar. He flinched and drew his hand away. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to do that.”
She gently shook her head. “It’s okay. I don’t want Noah to come between us. I won’t let him. Maybe you could even make me forget he ever existed.” Her blue eyes glinted with provocation.
He hardened in response. “I accept that challenge.” He buried his hand in her hair and drew her against him as his mouth descended on hers.
Their kiss the other night had been soft, exploratory. This was hotter. Deeper. They knew the territory—at least a little—which meant they could traverse it fullbore. Like a familiar trail.
Only, the sensations cresting over him weren’t familiar. They were new and exciting, and he couldn’t get enough. He opened his mouth against hers, and their tongues collided. Her hands crept up his back and tugged at his shirt, and she pressed into him, their bodies touching from lips to chests to hips.
A raindrop hit his hand, but he ignored it in favor of losing himself in her embrace. She found the nape of his neck and tugged at the hair coming out from the bottom of his hat. He wanted to toss the damn thing off along with the rest of his clothing so she could run her hands all over him.
Her fingers dug into his neck as the kiss deepened. He clutched at her waist, pulling her against his groin. She moaned into his mouth, and it was the most erotic fucking thing he’d ever heard. If it were not broad daylight in the middle of his vineyard and raining, he’d drag her down to the ground right now.
Rain?
He was suddenly aware that itwasraining, and they were about to get quite wet. He broke the kiss, gasping, and took her hand. “Come on!”
She glanced up at the sky and was rewarded with a fat raindrop on her nose. He tipped his head and licked it off. She gave him a sultry stare as he pulled her toward the winery.
They ran for cover as the rain came down harder, dampening their clothes. Their laughter filled the air as they reached the underside of the patio above. There was only about four feet of covered space running along the edge of the building, but it was enough. He pulled her back into his arms and kissed her again, tasting heat and rain and desire.
Pivoting, she put her back against the building and pulled him between her legs. He was hard and eager, his cock finding that sweet spot as she rotated her hips against him.
She moaned into his mouth again, and he cupped her face, pinning her so he could taste his fill. She clasped his hips and held him as her head angled, and her tongue slid against his.
He felt a vibration and stupidly thought of a sex toy. She tugged her lips from his. “My phone.” She kissed him again, quick and hard. “I would ignore it, but I had to find someone to work for me today, and she said she might have to pick her kid up from school because he had a cold.”
He licked along her lips and pulsed his hips against hers. “Uh-huh.”
She pulled the phone from her back pocket and held it up.
He pushed her hair to the side to access the creamy softness of her neck. Kissing her flesh, he said, “I hope this means you’ll come to the wine dinner with me on Saturday. I can’t wait to see you in a sexy dress and take you up to my office—”
She stopped moving, and he could’ve sworn her body temperature took a nosedive.
She pushed at him, her eyes glued to her phone until she raised them, and he saw the stark fear in their ice-blue depths.
“My ex just got out of prison.”
