I don’t answer. Instead, I throw caution to the wind. Screw my job at GFH. Screw my insecurities. I’ll probably regret it later, but I lean in until our lips touch. His are warm and soft.
The kiss is short and very sweet. When I sit back in my chair, I do everything not to look at him. Regret hits me. Reaching out, I pick up my Vat and sip, staring down at the table.
“Alison?”
I look up at him and see a furrowed brow.
“What?”
His expression quickly changes, and a smile emerges. “Come on. Let me walk you home. I need to get my shower so I can get to Sky.”
“Oh, right.”
We gather our coffees and head for the exit. Outside the shop, I turn to him. “You don’t need to walk with me.”
“I want to.”
“Oh.” Turning right, I look back at him and point down the street. “I’m this way.”
“For future reference”—he points the opposite direction—“I’m that way.”
We walk in silence the two and a half blocks to my apartment building. When he sees where I live, he says, “I’ve walked by this building about a thousand times.”
Blinking up at him, I smile. “How have we never met?”
He shakes his head, “No idea.” He reaches out and pushes a loose strand of hair away from my face. “May I kiss you?” His voice is soft, gentle.
I can’t speak, so I just nod. While he looks into my eyes, I feel his hand slide to the side of my neck and into my hair.
I love that.
His thumb is resting on my jaw, and it’s slowly moving back and forth.
It feels good.
As he leans down, just a second before our lips touch, he gives me a small smile then says, “I’ve wanted to kiss you since the second I saw you.”
And bam. I’m a goner.
When he leans in closer, I know what to expect this time—or so I thought. This isn’t like the kiss at the coffee shop. This one starts soft like that one, but in a matter of seconds, our mouths are open and his tongue is seeking mine. It’s literally the hottest kiss of my life. I lean in and push up to my toes to get closer. There’s not one speck of space between us.
With one of his hands still in my hair, he wraps the other one across my back. I feel us move backward until I’m up against something hard. The door to my building, I’m guessing. I half expect him to grab my ass, but he doesn’t. Instead, the hand on my back moves up and down while his thumb is gently touching my chin and neck. All the while, I’ve got my arms wrapped so tight around his neck that I’m probably choking him.
When I hear knocking from somewhere, I pull my mouth from Ben’s. We’re staring at each other, both of us breathing hard.
“Someone’s trying to get out,” Ben says with a chuckle.
Turning my head, I see one of my neighbors. She’s glaring.
“Oops.” I giggle as Ben backs up, taking me with him.
When the door opens, Mrs. Campbell walks out, the look of irritation still prominent on her face. “Sorry,” I say, not really meaning it.
“A bit early to be doingthat, don’t you think?” she says with a sniff.
Nope.
When she finally walks away, I look over at Ben, who is looking at me like he wants to eat me for breakfast. I like the look. It’s not something men usually do around me.
