Chapter Six
Oh, my god… O.M.G.! I just kissed him!Jessica’s inner voice screamed. She pulled back and exhaled short puffs of air, disengaging her hands from his sturdy forearms.
“I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me.” Her apology came out fast, her stuttering voice high and uncertain. Jessica lowered her head to look away before she felt Tim’s fingertips touch her chin lightly, raising her face to meet his gaze.
“Don’t be sorry. I’m not.”
Her heart was pounding in her chest, and she felt light-headed. Her lips burned as she realized she yearned to meld them with his again. But had she gone too far? Her divorce was only a day old. What kind of woman moved on that quickly with a day-old divorce, and with their yardman? Elizabeth would be out of her mind with glee, but the thought worried her, and she started to move away from him in the water.
“No. Wait.” Tim grasped her arm and pulled her back, standing in the process as the water lapped violently around them.
She felt small looking up at his massive frame that towered over her like a giant shade tree. He pulled her up into a standing position as her eyes welled with tears.
“Don’t…” he whispered, drawing her close.
Jessica stiffened in his embrace, and then her body trembled as it resonated with regret.
“You don’t feel this?” he asked.
“What?” she muttered.
“This?” Tim stepped back from her, still holding her upper arms. “I’m attracted to you, Jessica. I feel it every time I’m around you. I think you feel it too.”
Jessica shook her head and tried to look away, but Tim took her chin in his hand again and turned her face to look at him. “What happened to you was awful, and you and your children didn’t deserve it.”
She nodded and blinked her eyes rapidly to keep fresh tears at bay.
“You need to relax and not overthink everything.” The awkward moment felt like an eternity as he stared down at her with a beguiling smile on his moist lips. “I have to ask. When was the last time you were properly kissed?”
His question took her by surprise, and she couldn’t help but raise her eyebrows, intrigued by the expression on his face. Uncertain as to what he was getting at, she shook her head, not sure how to answer, the very thought of another kiss fanning the flame in her belly.
He ran his thumb across her lower lip, making her toes curl. “Seriously. Think back to the last time a man thoroughly kissed you, making you weak in the knees.”
His gaze was compelling, and her breathing hitched. She wasn’t about to tell him that the kiss they just shared had rocked her to her core.
“Ummm. I would have to say…”
“Come on,” he encouraged.
Why did he have to be so incredibly handsome? And so incredibly not her usual type?
“Try to remember the last time a simple kiss left an indelible impression on you.”
“An indelible impression?” she repeated.
He chuckled and nodded as he waited for her to answer.
Chewing on her bottom lip, Jessica finally had a reply. “I would have to say, senior year of college… Adam Walters.” She tilted her head back with certainty and waited for his reaction.
Tim nodded slowly and tried to hide a small smile tugging on his lips. “Is that so?”
Before Jessica could respond, Tim took his time and kneeled dramatically in the pool before placing his wet hands on either side of her head. Staring back at him, her pulse jumped before he moved forward and tenderly pressed his lips against her mouth. The shock of his action was instantaneous, and her squeal was muffled as an ember of heat ignited in her belly. His tongue pried the seam of her mouth and slowly coerced her to open up to him. When she finally let go and allowed Tim to kiss her completely, her shoulders relaxed, and her body pressed into his. A drizzle of warmth trickled into her hibernating heart, and she relented—fully. When they came up for air, she gasped, her eyes searching his.
“That, my sweet Southern belle, was a proper kiss.”
His gumption made her giggle. “Well, it certainly left an indelible impression.”
Tim puffed out his glorious chest with satisfaction. “Mission accomplished.”
