He did.
Not that he didn’t think there was a big part of her that wanted him to.
He did.
But she was so torn about them being together that he’d like her to be 100 percent on board when they made that step.
Why she was so torn, he wasn’t sure. Neither of them were virgins. Neither of them had long-term expectations of the relationship. Just that his every gut instinct told him to take his time if that’s what it took.
Took for what?
That’s what he couldn’t figure out.
He just knew McKenzie was different, that for the first time in a long time he really liked a woman.
Maybe for the first time since Shelby.
Guilt slammed him, just as it always did when he thought of her. What right did he have to like another woman? He didn’t deserve that right. Not really. He took a deep breath and willed his mind not to go there. Not right now, although maybe he deserved to be reminded of it right now and every other living, breathing moment. Instead, he stared down into the pretty green eyes of the woman looking up at him with a thousand silent questions.
“Well?” she asked. “Are we back to my having to ask for your next move? Seriously, I gave you more credit than this.”
He swallowed the lump forming in his throat. “If that were the case, what move would you ask me to make?”
McKenzie let out an exaggerated sigh. “Just kiss me and get it over with.”
He tweaked his finger across her pert, upturned nose. “For that, I should just go home.”
She crossed her arms. “Fine. Go home.”
“See if you care?”
Her brows made a V. “What?”
“I was finishing your rant for you.”
“Whatever.” She rolled her eyes. “Go home, Lance. Have your shower. Cold. Hot. Lukewarm. Whatever.”
Despite his earlier thoughts, he couldn’t hold in his laughter at her indignation. “I intend to, but not before I kiss you good-night.”
“Okay.”
Okay? He smiled at her response, at the fact that she closed her eyes and waited for his mouth to cover hers, though her arms were still defensively crossed.
She was amazingly beautiful with her hat pulled down over her ears and her scarf around her neck. The temperature was only in the upper fifties, so it wasn’t that cold. Just cold enough to need an outside layer.
And to cause a shiver to run down Lance’s spine.
It had probably been the cold and not the anticipation of kissing McKenzie that had caused his body to quiver.
Maybe.
“Well?” She peeped at him through one eye. “Sun’s going to be coming up if you don’t get a move on. Time’s a-wasting.”
She closed her eye again and waited.
Smiling, he leaned down, saw her chin tilt toward him in anticipation, but rather than cover her lips he pressed a kiss to her forehead.
Her eyes popped open and met his, but she didn’t say anything.