“You can’t show up unannounced an hour early to pick up a girl!” Crossing her arms over her chest and staring at me with daggers, she doesn't move.
With my eyes glued to hers, one foot in front of the other, I move toward her. She stands her ground. Lifting my hand, I brush a stray piece of hair back behind her ear. “You look gorgeous in anything…or nothing.” A sly grin passes over my face as I drag the back of my fingers over her cheek.
She closes her eyes, and I lean in to kiss her cheek. When she opens her eyes and feels me on her cheek, she chuckles. “Is this your way of distracting me?”
“Is it working?” My other hand holds her face, and I kiss her cheek one more time before saying, “You can take as long as you need to get ready.”
“You’re ridiculous.”
“I won’t argue with that.”
Grabbing my hand, she leads me inside with no hesitation. Her confidence is radiating, and it’s attracting me to her with extreme force. We take a quick right and end up in the living room. She tries to swing me around to sit on the couch, but I’m too strong. I end up sliding my hands over her arms and tugging her to me.
Gazing into her eyes, I move closer to her ear and whisper, “Go get ready. I want to take you out and show you the time of your life.”
She squeezes my biceps. “Okay, then give me fifteen minutes. I’ll be ready.”
“I’ll be waiting.”
Off she goes, swaying those sweet curves across the room. I stand up and look around her living room. Pictures of Kendall with a group of friends, which appear to span time, possibly starting in college. Her hair stands out in each of the photos, and then her smile captivates me. As I start at one end and make my way to the other, she becomes even more gorgeous with age.
I hear her shoes clicking on the hardwood floor. Turning around, I watch her walk into the room. Stunning. She takes my breath away; my feet automatically meet hers. “You are gorgeous.” Sliding my hands through her hair, my thumbs linger near her cheeks. Her eyes close as I caress her cheeks in a circular motion, and she lays her hands over mine. Touching her. The heat from her hands sends fire through my arms, and like a wildfire, it spreads through my body.
Resisting her is impossible. I’m drawn to her every time she is in the same room as me; I just can’t keep my hands off of her. Or my lips.
With her eyes still closed, I dip down and glide my lips along her skin. So close to her lips, they move. She wants it too. Dragging my tongue over her bottom lip, she lets out a gasp. “Dane.”
“Kendall, I can’t keep my hands off you.”
Opening her eyes, she stares deep into me. “I thought you came over early to start our date.”
“You’re right.” I rub the back of my neck and then scratch my beard. Picking her up and bringing her to bed would be the perfect way to spend the time before heading to the ferry, but she’s right; there’s more to today than having sex. Although we could start with it if she wanted. But it seems like she wants something more.
I slide my hands down her arms. “We could…”
SEVENTEEN
Kendall
“We could, but we aren’t going to.” I raise my eyebrow.
Although I wouldn’t mind… I want more than another night with him. The feelings that roll through me when I’m around him—I know I can’t do casual with him. Is that all he wants, to be casual? I thought this was a date, an actual date to get to know each other better. Maybe start something with him, but my life is too busy with work and my friends to get involved with someone who is a one-night guy.
“Hey,” Dane says as he tips my chin with his fingers. “Where’s that smile that I love?”
I try to fake it, but I’ve never been good at that.
“You’re terrible at faking it.” He winks at me. “I know when it’s real. You can’t fool me.”
I laugh and shake my head. “What are we doing today?”
“It’s a surprise. Come on.”
He lingers close to me for another few seconds. He touches my arm one more time, leaving a wake of fire on my skin. Then, he moves his hands down to mine, clasps them, and tugs me to him.
“Today will be a day we remember as one of the best dates ever.”
“You’re pretty confident.”
