I watch him the whole time, utterly captivated.
The way his sleeves are pushed up, forearms flexing when he lifts his glass. The easy confidence. The fact that he looks completely at home here and still somehow like he belongs fixing shelves in a small-town library.
“How am I doing?” he asks when the server leaves.
“Dangerously well,” I admit.
His knee brushes mine beneath the table.
Once.
Then again.
Not accidental.
I inhale slowly, grateful for the wine when it arrives. “You’re very distracting.”
“Good,” he says simply.
The conversation over dinner flows easily. He tells me about growing up in Mistletoe Bay, working at the hardware store since he was old enough to hold a broom. I tell him about my first day at the library, how I cried in the bathroom because I shelved an entire section wrong.
He laughs, eyes crinkling. “You? Crying?”
“I’m passionate,” I defend. “And organized.”
The food arrives, rich and indulgent and entirely too good to rush through. We share bites. Lean closer than necessary. His knee stays pressed to mine, grounding and teasing all at once.
Eventually, Rhett moves his chair closer to mine, his hand landing on my thigh again. This time, his fingers wander under the hem of my skirt, tracing against my bare skin.
My breath hitches. I look around to make sure nobody is watching.
“You okay?” he murmurs.
“Mm-hmm,” I say, absolutelynotokay. My body is already humming and I’m desperate for more of whatever it is he’s about to offer.
His hand wanders higher.
“Rhett,” I hiss.
He leans in and kisses my cheek, whispering, “Tell me to stop.”
I should. I know I should.
But the thrill of seeing just how far Rhett will take this, the threat of possibly being caught, has me soaked and wanting more.
“Don’t you dare stop,” I murmur.
He smirks. “Can you be quiet?”
I bit my lip and nod. I’ll sure as hell hope I can.
His fingers climb higher until they brush against my panties.
I swallow hard and fight the moan in the back of my throat.
He pushes the fabric to the side and circles my clit.
When I squirm and let out a low gasp, Rhett raises a brow, challenging me.
