Her blue eyes widened.
She couldn’t really be that fucking surprised, could she? I hadn’t been alone with that kiss in the fall. At least I didn’t think so.
I eased back and she grabbed my hand. “What do you mean?”
“You know what I mean.” I propped my elbows on my thighs until our gazes were even. I licked my lips and stared at her mouth.
She sucked in her bottom lip, her teeth denting the pale skin. Her lipstick had rubbed off, thanks to her drinks and food. Would she taste like tequila? Or maybe the sharper spice of her food?
Would I find out? That was the real question.
Gideon’s words rang in my head.
You have good chemistry, and suddenly, a lot of objections fly out the window.
Okay, there had been a bit more than that to it for him and Macy, but maybe I needed to actually take the plunge. The kiss by the truck had been weird. Hot, but weird. She’d been right there, with her eyes closed, practically begging me to lean in.
I didn’t even think about it.
Now?
All I’d been doing was thinking about it. And I knew I’d screwed up after we kissed. I’d been just as surprised how incredible it had been. I should have dragged her back in and gone for part two.
But then she’d bailed on me. That wasn’t happening a second time.
I cupped the back of her neck. The realization lit her depthless blue eyes. They always told me exactly what was going on in her brain. She’d probably hate that I knew it.
I knew when she was pissed, when she was tired, when she was hurting.
This Kinleigh was new.
Sexy.
Aware.
Wary.
I leaned in. Maybe I could get rid of the wariness. Our eyes were still open as I closed the gap, and then she was mine. Those long lashes fluttered down and she breathed into me. And I took.
No holding back.
This wasn’t a game for me. She never had been, but maybe I’d have to convince her of that.
I brushed my lips with hers, lightly tasting the corner of her mouth, the fullest part of her lower lip, then the sharp divot along the top of her bow-like shape. I was rewarded with spice.
I loved spice.
Her fingers twisted around my tie, and the little groan nearly brought me out of my seat. I wanted to hear more of that. Taste it on my tongue.
The sounds of the crowd around us invaded my lust brain.
I pulled back, looking around. No one was paying us any mind. People were moving inside, probably for speeches or something. Someone bumped my chair, and Kinleigh jerked back.
Nope. Not this time.
I stood and took her hand, drawing her with me as I wound my way around the chairs and to the back gate of the fenced-in area of the café.
“What are you doing?”