Page 44 of Heart to Heart

Dahlia checked her phone. “Holly, an officer just picked Owen up. We can talk about what to do about him over breakfast.”

“I’m going to get to work then,” I told them. “Enjoy your breakfast, ladies.”

“I’ll be back soon, Liam. Will I be in the way if I start bringing some of my supplies into the house to sort through?”

I shook my head. “Not at all. You can put it in the kitchen, and I’ll transfer it to the work room when I finish in there if you like.”

“That would be perfect. See you later.”

I waved as they got into Dahlia’s van and left. Then I headed inside to get to work finishing up the floor installation Owen had been working on.

A while later, I was on my hands and knees installing a baseboard when I heard the front door open. Footsteps sounded across the floor behind me. I knew it was Holly, but she didn’t say a word. She just stopped, silently watching me as I worked.

“I can feel your eyes all over me, sunshine.”

“The, uh, floor is looking good. And you installed the counter too? You’re amazing. Oh hell, you look hot bent over like that. You can really work a baseboard, Liam. Is there a make out day, or a no pants day, or a get into bed with your crush day coming up that we could exploit now that we’re back to going slow?”

I stood, took the few steps that separated us and swung her into the circle of my arms. “Actually, No Pants Dayiscoming up, so is Lover’s Day, and I Don’t Want to Wait Day. Zipper Day is pretty soon, too. We could unzip and celebrate early?”

“I like I Don’t Want to Wait Day, it feels right for us.”

“I think so too. But first, I have to say this again with a clear head. I’m sorry about losing my temper and storming out of here. And if I was a little too demanding earlier, I’m sorry for that as well. I worked most of my anger out hammering in the baseboards while you were gone, and I feel like shit about how I handled things.”

She placed a finger to my lips to hush me. “Don’t be sorry, Liam. No man has ever stood up for me like that. To be honest, I loved everything about it.” Her eyes dropped to my chest and she sounded a little sheepish when she said, “I don’t know what this says about me, but it turned me on when you threw him out the door. Does that make me a bad person?”

I would have laughed at her response but I was distracted by the creamy expanse of her neck where a pink flush was slowly rising. “No, he deserved it.”

“’Kay...” She squirmed in my arms to get closer. “I still haven’t run to the store for condoms. We’ll have to tone down the I Don’t Want to Wait Day celebration unless you bought some. Did you?”

“I have not, and it is utterly stupid of me. So No Pants and Zipper Days are also off the table. But that’s okay because we’re taking this slow like we need to do. Plus I still have to open a few doors, hold your hand, and take you to dinner, remember?”

That blush rose to color her cheeks and I smiled as her eyes shifted up to gaze into mine. “Oh, yeah. We wouldn’t want your grandma to have to haunt you, right?”

“That’s right, baby.” Damn, she was pretty. Her dark lashes fluttered down as she inhaled a soft breath. Every time I got close to her like this, I noticed something new. The light dusting of freckles across the bridge of her nose, or the dimple on her left cheek, or the irresistible way her lips had just parted as she waited for me to kiss her.

“Liam...” Her breath feathered across my lips. “Please...”

“I’m taking you out Friday, sunshine.”

“God, yes. But kiss me again today?”

My heart hammered in my chest as I pressed my mouth to hers. What I wanted, needed, and would die to have was wrapped up in this stunning woman standing in my arms. Overwhelmed by her nearness, everything faded into the background as I slid my tongue against hers and pulled her tighter.

She’d been running through my mind on a perpetual loop since I’d met her. The further we went, the deeper I fell. Those gorgeous lips, then the way she kissed me. Those pretty eyes, then the way she looked at me. The more I tried to keep her out of my mind, the more I fuckinghadto think about her. And I knew once I got inside of her, I’d never want to leave.

Her arms draped over my shoulders as her fingers threaded into my hair, holding on, tugging me close while she peppered soft little kisses to my jaw then down my throat, ending at the exposed skin above my collar. “I love how you kiss me. Like you can’t get enough,” she whispered as she unbuttoned my shirt and spread it apart to kiss her way across my chest.

“Because your mouth tastes like heaven.” I let my fingers slide into her soft blonde hair to pull her face up to mine. “Do you have any idea how much I want you? What you do to me?” I didn’t wait for an answer; I held her chin steady in the palms of my hands and slammed my mouth back to hers with a groan.

I wanted to worship her entire body with my mouth, but I knew we wouldn’t get that far, not today. So I settled for letting my hands roam. Down the back of her neck, along the graceful arch of her spine and lower to grip her gorgeous ass in my palms. It fit perfectly into my hands as if she were made exactly for me. I lifted and she gave a little hop, wrapping her legs around my waist as I walked us to the rear of the space to set her on the edge of the shop’s new counter.

“Yes...” She wrapped me tight and scooted forward, pressing our hips together with a little grind as she darted her tongue out and flicked it against the base of my throat.

“You’re so fucking sexy, Holly. I can’t wait to get inside you.” I banded an arm around her hips to yank her closer and took her mouth again.

“I don’t know if I want you to keep talking or shut up and kiss me some more,” she mumbled against my lips.

I nudged her backward and kissed a path down her neck, grinning when she reached between us to unzip her hoodie and there was nothing underneath.

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