Page 24 of All It Takes

Wes’s hand slid off my thigh, curling around my waist and moving up my back in a comforting pass. His fingers teased in my hair, sifting through it.

“Tiffany,” he murmured, his voice low and gravelly.

I took a breath, marshaling my nerves, and then lifted my head to find his eyes waiting for mine. When our gazes met, I felt a shock in my solar plexus. The electrifying sensation was as if he’d grabbed ahold of my heart.

We stared at each other quietly. It felt as if we were each taking a measure of the other. His words surprised me.

“I don’t think that worked.”

“What do you mean?”

His lips curled just barely at the corners, but it was enough to send my belly into a swoop.

“The whole getting it out of our system. Complete failure,” he said, his tone wry.

He couldn’t know it, but I needed that. A giggle slipped out. I wasn’t the kind of woman who giggled. I was very practical.

“Definitely not,” I agreed.

His hand slipped free of my hair in the back, and he lifted it, brushing a loose lock off my cheek as he dipped his head and dusted a kiss over my lips.

A moment later, we untangled ourselves. Wes was solicitous, helping me off the counter and handing me my clothes. He went into the bathroom to dispose of his condom. When he came back out, he was pulling his shirt on. I was ridiculously disappointed to see his muscled chest disappear behind the fabric of his T-shirt.

I had busied myself putting plates in the dishwasher and boxing up the pizza. He rested his hips against the counter as he looked over at me. “I’d like to stay,” he said, his honesty surprising me.

I opened my mouth to say that he could, but he added, “But that might be confusing for Ross.”

I took a quick breath, nodding in agreement. Because that was the truth, and it was sensible. We’d gone from kissing to something unexpected and surprisingly powerful.

“Right,” I said, trying to sound practical and calm.

“How about we have brunch tomorrow?”

“Uh, okay.”

He grinned as he looked over at me. “Did I surprise you?”

I shrugged, feeling bashful again. “I guess so.”

“I could say it’s because it’s good for us to spend time together with Ross, which is true, but I also like spending time with you.”

My heartbeat kicked up a notch and my belly swooped again. Wes was unexpected and too much of what I wanted.

I decided to be honest. “I like spending time with you too. Where should we meet?”

“Firehouse Café,” he said as if there could be any other answer.

I grinned. “Perfect. What time?”

“Nine.”

* * *

A little bit later, I lay in bed after Wes kissed me goodbye and nearly buckled my knees at the door. My skin felt oversensitive. My nerve endings were overwrought from Wes.

I stared at the ceiling, my eyes tracing the glow-in-the-dark star constellations someone else had left here before I moved into this apartment. My practical self was trying to be heard through the cacophony of need and my bruised heart wanting so much.

I fell asleep, telling myself not to be stupid and not to be foolish. But my sensible, guarded heart knew I was treading far past the line of foolishness.

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