Whiskey and Country

“And will we know when kissing exceeds the friend zone limitations?” she asked.

I breathed through my mouth and thought about it for a moment before my words escaped with a mind of their own. Tension grew inside me. I exhaled to calm the discomfort rising in my lower half. With a hand, I adjusted my jeans under the table as much as I could.

“Bah. I think when it happens, we’ll just recognize it.”

“Guess we’ll find out,” she added with a lopsided smirk.

The air between us got charged with the tension of unsaid promises. And repressed sexual desire. Fuck, I had to get a grip over my body. It had been so long since the last time I got laid. Right now, if Dahlia kept eye-fucking me this way, I would require an extraction mission to get me out of here, my body an explosive device about to detonate.

I bit on that piece of bread, only to choke on it.

The server came back. “You okay, sir?” he asked.

“Yes.” I swallowed. Hard. “Fine. Thanks. I’m all right.”

No. I’m not. Not fine. Dying here. Unable to process anything because my blood is lava and moving south at a vertiginous speed.

Beside me, Dahlia sipped her water, staring at me, merriment dancing in her irises. And I really loved being on the receiving end.

The server noted our orders, and Dahlia’s gaze darted away from me. I shivered and felt the withdrawal deep in my bone marrow.

“How’s it going with the house so far?” she asked, the mischief in her eyes now gone. The molecules of attraction swirled around us, but not as dense. In my head, I thanked her for the change of topic.

“Good. I’ve worked mostly on the front porch and deck. At least now it’s safe to enter the house. How’s the shop going?”

A large smile spread over her lips. “Incredible. Ready for opening day. The two women I’ve hired are amazing. They’ll look after the shop when I’m not there. Jack is too little and needs his Mama. He’s my priority.”

“He’s lucky to have you.”

Her cheeks turned a satin shade of pink. Was my presence or our chemistry to blame for the light coloring? Dahlia searched my eyes. We said nothing for a long minute, studying each other from the opposite sides of the table. The fascination broke when the server brought us our appetizers.

“How’s the new job? Mike isn’t being too harsh on you?”

“Nope. Things are kinda great. Running my own crew.”

“Whoa, he must really trust ya. He can be a bit picky with his employees.”

I shrugged. “I have experience and ran bigger projects in the past. Our visions mesh together. We’re a great fit.”

“Would you like to have your own business someday?” Dahlia asked, sipping her wine, seemingly interested in what I had to say.

“In Chicago, it never occurred to me, but in a town like Green Mountain, I can see the appeal. I guess we’ll see how it goes. Mike said something about it the other day.” I took a bite, studying her.

She grinned at me. My heart waltzed in my chest at the sight. “It would suit you. Yeah, I can see it, you running your own business. You have the look.”

I frowned. “The look? Woman, what does it even mean?”

Dahlia sat there, watching me, not saying anything for a long beat.

My heart rate kicked up.

Her cheeks flushed—something she did so well—the smile still anchored to her face. And her lips, a shade of red, acted like magnets, requesting my complete attention. And devotion.

“You know,” she said. “The look. Handsome. Serious. Confident. No nonsense. Determination. Success. And a will only a few people possess.” She shrugged and leaned forward so as to tell me a secret. “That look.”

Could all the patrons here feel the jitters ping-ponging between us?

“You think you got me all figured out?” I teased.

“No. Not yet. But I will.”

She rested back in her chair and winked, and I swore a little of me melted right there, somewhere in the region close to my heart. Or in my heart. On the spot.

Dahlia Ellis was like no other woman I ever met. The more time I spent with her, the more I wanted to know everything about her.

Dereck, bro, where did you send me? Did you suspect all along I’d fall under this woman’s charm?For a short moment, I could daresay both he and Tucker sided to manipulate me to come here. And I wondered if Green Mountain could be where I was supposed to be? As if my friends had known all along that Dahlia Ellis would steal my heart with just a glance my way?

* * *

Hours later, I pulled into Dahlia’s driveway and stopped the engine. She angled her upper body toward me. For a minute, we eyed each other, neither of us breaking the lust-filled silence. My gaze floated somewhere between her irises and her mouth. Her lower lip trembled, and right now, I would have given everything I owned just to taste it. To erase the distance between us and steal a kiss. In slow motion, my eyes wandered over her face, the moonlight showcasing her singular beauty, from the arch of her brow to the length of her neck.

Dahlia’s chest rose and fell. The freckles leading down her dress, showing me the way to her cleavage, were begging to be traced over with my fingertip. Or my tongue.

I brought my eyes back up.

Heat burned in hers.

I cleared my throat, and it broke the spell we were both under. The fire in us burned stronger than before.

“Stay here. I’ll open your door,” I told her as I climbed out of my truck and circled it.

“Thank you,” she said, avoiding my eyes.

I walked her to her house, my fingers tingling to touch her lower back.

My breath caught. I wasn’t ready for the night to end. I still craved her. Her presence. Her joy. Her energy. Even after spending an entire evening by her side.

On the front porch, standing close, we drank each other in.

I leaned forward, my breath grazing her cheek.

My words turned into a whisper.

“Can we test that third rule? As friends?” I asked.

Why was my voice so husky?

Heat traveled up Dahlia’s face, the pink color on her cheeks making her even more beautiful under the porch light. My earlier thoughts swam back to my mind. Was I responsible for making her flush all the time?

“Yes,” she murmured. “I thought you’d never ask. And since the rulebook agrees—”

Her breathing became shallow.

She parted her lips, and I leaned in until mine connected with them. Dahlia’s hand splayed over my chest as if she required the support, her touch soft as a feather. I shivered down to my toes.

We both stood there as if we’d been transported to another dimension when our mouths connected. As if the world had dissolved all around us and we were raw from lust.

Fiery desire coursed through my bloodstream.