“Please, Knox.”
His first kiss was tender, his lips softly seeking hers. But he was being too gentle. She wasn’t some china doll that needed to be handled with care. With a growl, she stepped closer, placed her arms around his neck, and pressed her body against his. She deepened the kiss, eager to convince him how badly she wanted this.
All his hesitancy vanished. He devoured her mouth, kissing her with such ferocity she could barely get in a breath. Each little sensation shot right to her core—the soft scrape of his beard, the taste of brandy on his lips, the heat of his body, warming her all over. His hands tightened around her waist as he kissed her like his life depended on it.
A spark leapt up from the fire and landed on her jeans. With a cry, she pulled away and patted it out. Despite the momentary shock, she was so aroused she wanted to jump his bones right here and now.
Knox raked a hand through his thick brown hair. “You okay? Sorry about that. I didn’t mean to get carried away.”
“You don’t have to apologize. I only stopped because I didn’t want to catch on fire.” Her heart was pounding fiercely, her pulse racing. When was the last time she’d felt like this with anyone? Hell, had sheeverfelt this way? “Maybe we should let the flames settle so we don’t go down in a blaze of glory.”
He laughed. “But what a way to go, right?”
Her bashfulness vanished, replaced by the thrill of victory. She’dfinallygotten Knox to kiss her. Not just any kiss, either, but a five-alarm blaze that had woken every nerve ending in her body. If his kisses were this good, what would he be like in bed?
She topped up her brandy. “Do you want more?”
“Just another splash. Thanks.”
By the time she’d polished off her second cup, her limbs were loose and relaxed. She toasted her marshmallow until it was burned to a crisp and sandwiched it between the graham crackers and chocolate. Then she ate every morsel, licking the crumbs and the melted chocolate off her fingers. “Mmm. Nothing beats a s’more.”
“We used to do bonfires all the time when I was growing up,” he said. “In the summer, we’d have the neighbor kids over and play night games.”
“I’m so jealous of your childhood. Do you go back very often?”
Knox broke off a few pieces of chocolate and ate them. “Not as much as I’d like. I was hoping to go home for Thanksgiving on the twelfth, but I can’t make it work. The Gilded Lily will be closed, but I’d need more than one day off to trek home and back. And what with Preston leaning into Halloween, October’s already hectic enough without asking for PTO.”
“It’s a bummer Thanksgiving falls right in the middle of spooky season. Americans are lucky. They get to have Thanksgiving in November, when Halloween’s over and done with.”
Charlie placed another marshmallow on her stick and toasted it until it burst into flames. She skimmed off the burnt part and popped it into her mouth. “Yum. Just the way I like it.”
“You’re supposed to toast it gently, not incinerate it.”
“Says who? It’s way tastier if it’s super crispy.”
He set down his toasting stick and sat back in his chair. “C’mere.”
“Who, me?” She grinned at him. Teasing Knox was becoming her new favorite activity.
“Yes you, sassy pants. Come sit on my lap. There’s room for both of us.”
She did as he said, squishing in beside him. This time, when she kissed him, he tasted like marshmallows and milk chocolate.
He wove his hands through her hair and placed soft kisses behind her ear. “Sorry in advance if I get marshmallow goo in your hair.”
“Like I care about getting sticky? Do you have any idea how long I’ve wanted you to kiss me? I’ve had a thing for you since…” As the realization struck her, she put her head in her hands and lowered her voice to an embarrassed whisper. “March of last year.”
With a gentle laugh, he tugged on her hands. “Can you speak up? I didn’t catch that.”
From his teasing tone, she was certain he hadn’t missed a word she’d said. “You heard me. I started feeling this way after you saved me from those jerks who were at the hotel for a travel convention. Do you remember? They were part of that rowdy group who decided to throw a Mardi Gras party at the Gilded Lily.”
“What I remember most was having to clean up all those beaded necklaces. Those idiots tossed them everywhere. If they wanted Mardi Gras, they should have gone to New Orleans, not Victoria.”
“They were so obnoxious. But most of them were harmless, except the two guys who came up to the front desk and started harassing me.”
At the time, she’d been in a vulnerable position, covering the overnight shift on her own. She’d initially responded to them with cool politeness, and then with anger, but they wouldn’t be deterred. Since they weren’t a direct threat to any of the guests, she’d been hesitant to radio one of the hotel’s security officers for backup.
Knox had no such qualms. As he passed by the front desk on his way out, he confronted the men and threatened to call security if they didn’t back off. Even after he’d gotten rid of them, he kept Charlie company until her shift ended. In typical Knox fashion, he hadn’t said much, but his presence had been incredibly comforting.
