“Them?”
“Proverbial.”
Megs scoffed. “Well, my last real relationship ended two years ago, so I’ve been wanting more for, what, four semesters and two summer terms?”
“You could’ve had an associate's degree by now.”
Megs grabbed the front of Gideon’s shirt, ignoring the group of raucous high schoolers exiting the restaurant. “If only college was for me.”
Gideon pressed into her, forcing her back against the car window. “Do you still hateeverythingabout college?”
No.No, she did not.College was her new favorite. Megs kept her eyes trained on his as he curved over her, then sucked in a breath as his nose brushed hers. “I think I made a hasty judgment call. I should’ve . . . ” She couldn’t finish her sentence because Gideon’s hand was moving up the back of her arm, sending ripples of pleasure across her skin. He brushed his fingers over her collarbone before he tucked her hair behind her ear.
Megs held her breath as he cupped her jaw and finally—finally, for the love of all that was holy—kissed her. Every nerve turned into a live wire, every inch of her warming and tingling like she’d just fallen in a vat of Tiger Balm.
Gideon’s lips were soft. Gentle. Curious. She wanted to touch him, run her hands through his hair, but she couldn’t force herself to move. Megs, for maybe the third time in her life, held utterly still, her entire existence focusing on his breath. His hand on her neck. The tip of his tongue brushing against her lower lip.
The kiss was good. So good, she audibly whimpered when Gideon pulled back with glazed eyes and took a large step away from her. He couldn’t hide his amusement at the disappointed expression she knew was plastered all over her face.
Leave them wanting more.He’d succeeded on that front.
Gideon cleared his throat and pulled out his phone. “Number?” Megs gave it to him, and when her phone buzzed in her pocket, she pulled it out and laughed at the message.
Gideon Adams, burger aficionado and destroyer of sandals
“Your official bio at Champlain?”
“Sadly, no. They made me cut the interesting parts.”
Megs pursed her lips, her bare foot fidgeting over her one remaining sandal top. “Well, Gideon Adams. Thank you for this.”
He nodded and slipped his phone back into his pocket. “Good luck with the audition.”
Megs blinked.Right.There had been an entire evening before this moment, though she struggled to recall it. She’d recorded an audition and Gideon had watched. Her cheeks flushed.
“I always find it easier to perform in front of a crowd than one person.”
How had he known what she was thinking, and since when did he know anything about performing?“Exactly.”
“But you should be proud of that. You did an excellent job.”
Megs almost swooned as her one available leg started to liquefy. She reached back and pulled on the door handle, then swiveled so he wouldn’t see how much his words affected her. “Now to figure out how to edit and submit it.”
“I’ll text you a free editing software you can use.”
Megs hopped around the now-open door and threw the broken sandal into the passenger seat, then turned back. “Thanks. For . . . everything tonight.”
Gideon’s lips curled. He nodded and adjusted his glasses. “Talk soon.”
“Sounds great.” Megs gave a small wave and slipped into the driver’s seat, searching for a non-dirt-covered spot on her mat to set her bare left foot.
Seven
Megs'apron fluttered as she whizzed through Green Mountain Grinds. Her Sunday morning shift was in full swing, and the coffee shop buzzed with energy. The scent of brewing coffee melded with the sweet, buttery scent of fresh pastries delivered each morning from the bakery down the street.
"Double espresso macchiato," Megs muttered under her breath, her curls bouncing as she turned to prepare the drink. Her fingers flitted across the espresso machine. She barely had to look at this point. The motions had been permanently branded into her brain.
As the steam hissed, she glanced down at a notification on her smart watch, a small thrill running through her at the sight of Gideon's name on the screen.
