“Would I know any of your work?”
I shrugged, then stepped out of the hug and put my arm around his waist, walking him over to the wall of books, complete with rolling ladder. I pointed to the shelves that held my backlist catalog.
“That’s me.”
Recognition lifted his brow, but he shook his head, stepping closer to read the spines.
“Bullshit. There is no way you’re Everett Goodnight. Prove it.”
I shrugged, inordinately glad for the teasing. “Okay.”
I pulled out my phone and opened my publishing account. Navigating to the books, I showed him my sales for the day.
“Shit,” he said, resting his head on my shoulder and his hand on my belly. “Someone should tell Everett Goodnight that you’ve hacked his account.”
I laughed because that’s what he made me do, apparently.
“We wait in midnight lines, my niece and I, for your books. I had no idea you lived in the area.”
“Nobody does.”
“It must be nice to maintain your anonymity.”
I nodded. “I often get overwhelmed with people. So, I usually stick to the square here in G-town, H-E-B, and the boxing gym.”
Alfie whistled under his breath. “Well, that explains the muscles,” he said, squeezing my arm.
I inhaled sharply, and his molten brown eyes caught my gaze. I’d been off-balance this entire evening, but this was the first moment I’d felt grounded. Steady.
He darted a look to my lips, then back to my eyes.
I’d definitely kissed on a first date. Definitely rounded some bases on a first date. Hell, I’d fucked on a first date, and that’s not counting the one-night stands.
I hesitated because the feeling in my chest wasn’t like anything I’d ever experienced. Maybe I hesitated a little too long because he dropped his chin again, probably thinking I didn’t want him.
I touched his jaw, drawing it up until his eyes were on me.
“Gideon, you have no idea how sorry I am that?—”
I cut him off with a kiss. My knees weakened when he whimpered, then opened his mouth, kissing me back like he couldn’t imagine doing anything else. Suddenly, I was visualizing a split in the timeline of my life, a distinct before and after.
A warm knowing filled my body, and suddenly the whole humiliating dog incident felt like a blip on a fading horizon
I was in trouble.
So much goddamn trouble.
I deepened the kiss, invading his mouth with my tongue, the small moan at the back of his throat sending chills down my neck and spine.
I found an unoccupied bit of wall and pushed him up against it. We kept kissing until, desperate for air, I finally pulled away. He looked as drunk as I felt.
“Fuck,” I swore under my breath.
He blinked several times like he was trying to refocus. “Yeah.”
He adjusted his hips, bumping his steely shaft against mine. After kissing for just a few seconds, we were both fully hard.
I went in for another kiss, and soon enough, we were making out like proper teenagers, pulling at each other, grabbing whatever could be grabbed, humping against each other.
