“What elephant is that?” I asked, as if I didn’t know.
He grinned, looking so handsome I felt it in my chest. “That kiss,” was all he said.
“I thought we were discussing barn details.”
Several seconds ticked by as he studied me. I held his gaze for as long as I could, but it was as if he could see into my mind, read my thoughts, which admittedly included something like, God, he’s good-looking.
I looked away first.
“We can talk barn details once we clear up the personal stuff,” he said.
I wish I could say I wasn’t affected by him, but I was. After all these years, after all the bad blood and the anger and resentment, I wasn’t sure how I could feel any kind of attraction to him, but I did. All he had to do was look at me with that intensity, and I felt more drawn to him than I’d felt to anyone else ever.
“We can pretend it never happened,” I said.
Luke shook his head. “It happened, and it set me off-kilter for the past two weeks, Magnolia.” He shook his head like he couldn’t believe it. “It seemed like you felt something too.”
I swallowed, feeling something even now, but it was a physical something. Off-kilter? For two weeks? Was he telling the truth? Why would he lie about that?
He wouldn’t, I knew. His admission was a step into vulnerability. Even when we’d been enemies, I hadn’t thought he was manipulative. Just stupid.
“Whether I felt something or not, chemistry isn’t enough for us to disregard the past and pick up where we left off as if almost twenty years didn’t happen.”
He brushed a lock of hair off my cheek, peering into my eyes, making me feel squirmy. “What if it is?” His voice was a low, sensual rumble that did things to me.
I mentally shook myself. “We can’t just ignore that we spent half our lives hating each other. Those feelings don’t just drop away because you kissed me.”
“I agree. Those feelings dropped away because we talked. Because you told me what really happened. Because I figured out I was an idiot. I apologized for screwing up. It seemed like you’d forgiven me, but maybe I read that wrong.”
I thought that over. Had I forgiven him for being an immature blockhead?
He’d admitted to his teenage insecurities, admitted our families’ very different tax brackets had gotten into his head. I’d known the two of us as a couple would cause people to talk if word had ever gotten out that we were together, mainly because my family was wealthy and his was not. But when it was just Luke and me, those differences had meant nothing, at least not in my mind. Apparently they had in Luke’s.
Though I couldn’t exactly understand it, maybe because I’d admittedly grown up privileged in many ways, I could respect his admission.
So he’d been a normal teenage boy with lots of insecurities. I didn’t believe he’d set out to hurt me. He’d genuinely believed I’d hurt him first and had reacted. Could I hold it against him now that he’d misunderstood the situation and misjudged me?
No.
“I have forgiven you,” I said quietly. “I’m just not sure if I can forget.”
“We’re adults now, Mags. Adults who are attracted to each other.” He nudged my chin up gently with his finger, forcing eye contact. “Are you going to deny that?”
As I peered up into his earnest chocolate-brown eyes, my pulse quickened. My body responded. I couldn’t deny it. I merely shook my head, entranced by the connection crackling between us.
“I’m not asking for forever, Magnolia. I just want to kiss you,” he said. “Is it okay if I kiss you?”
The spell he’d cast over me had me nodding even as the wise section of my brain screamed, Bad idea!
Luke cradled my jaw with his large palm. He moved his face toward mine, slowly, ramping up my anticipation with every inch he advanced. Finally his lips touched mine, solidly, confidently, sensually. There was nothing of the insecure teenager anymore. This man knew how to turn me inside out with a kiss.
His hand found its way to my waist. He gripped it gently and guided me backward the few feet to the wall, then pressed his body flush with mine so we were touching nearly head to toe. Once again I could feel how aroused he was. My body softened and ached in return.
I slid my hands up to his neck, then higher, to the back of his head, pulling him to me, wanting an even deeper connection. I dipped my tongue between his lips, and he opened to me. Our tongues collided, shooting an intense shudder through me, eliciting an audible whimper from me. I didn’t care.
The kiss went on, the most tantalizing, sensual, thorough make-out session of my life.
I’d never had an honest-to-God boyfriend, only hookups and a terrible fiancé who didn’t put a lot of effort into his kisses. Luke kissed like it was an art form, and he was an international award winner.
