“Or elseyou’ll never see how good it can be when I stop assuming and take my time.”
“Jesus,” I breathed, overwhelmed with images of what it’d look like for a careful man like him to take his time with me. My knees nearly gave out.
“The name’s Kessler, actually.”
I dropped my chin. “Fuck. Just ask your damned questions.”
“Question two,” he started, ignoring my scowl. “You didn’t want to admit to being demisexual in front of me, did you?”
Shit.
“No. I didn’t.”
“But you did it because it was what Jaxon needed to hear.”
I stared at my feet and nodded. Kess’s blunt fingers touched my chin, delicately directing my eyes to his.
“Question three: true or false,” he said, pushing a rogue lock of hair behind my ear. “Ididscare you the night of my housewarming.”
Goddammit.
I squeezed my eyes shut. “True.”
“Open your eyes, Rowd.”
I did as he requested, surprised by the warmth in his shrewd expression. “I’m sorry,” he said, his voice like soft velvet. “Can I assume it was the automatic expectation of sex that scared you, and not the kissing?”
How did he know that about me?
I drew in a ragged breath. “Yes.”
He hummed in response, then placed his large hands on my shoulders and began massaging them.
“Final question. If I wanted to kiss you, and only kiss you, then take you on a date—not dinner between friends, but a proper date—to one of my favorite restaurants, would that be acceptable?”
I licked my lips. “You already have me here, so...”
“Answer the question, Rowdy.”
I let out a huff of air. “Yes. I’d...I’d like that. A lot.”
“Good.”
18
KESS
I wrapped up this tricksy,beautiful man in my arms, then briefly touched my nose to his before taking his perfect mouth with mine. Just like the night of the party, he melted at my touch.
My body reacted as it always did around Rowdy, but knowing that he needed time helped me to ratchet everything down. I deepened the kiss, supporting him as I bent him back ever so slightly. He returned the kiss with equal passion, opening his mouth to my questing tongue, gripping the back of my shirt as time passed by like a hazy concept.
Finally, I pulled away from him, then chuckled at the bombed-out look in his eyes.
“That good for you?”
“Mmhmm,” he murmured, slowly returning to earth.
I ran my nose through his hair, inhaling his woodsy, sweet scent.
