“And I appreciate that,” Kit said, his voice soothing my inner turmoil, “but it’s not necessary.”
Our meandering brought us close once more, and we straightened to standing mere inches apart. My hair fell across my eyes and, with my hands full of pecans, I blew a breath to try to clear my line of sight. When that failed, Kit chuckled and reached out, tucking the loose strands behind my ear.
The brush of his fingertips made my skin prickle, and I found myself staring. At his eyes, his lips, the hollow of his throat where the lacing of his shirt hung loose across his chest…
My mouth went dry, and I struggled to swallow.
He was near enough I could smell him, almost feel him.
“Kit?” I croaked.
He raised a brow.
“Do you fancy men?”
Silence stretched around us.
I half-expected him to ask what I meant, but he seemed to understand immediately. His expression went slack, and he stepped back. His hand, which had hovered in the air, retreated as well. He tried to tuck it into his pocket, but the abundance of pecans made that impossible, and he clasped both hands behind his back instead.
My heart fluttered with dying hope. I’d been too direct. Too abrupt. Too intrusive, considering Kit’s penchant for privacy.
Still, it was less than I wanted to ask because what I really wondered was if he fanciedme.
The longer he took to respond, the more stricken I felt. My fingers squeezed around the hem of my shirt, overflowing with dozens of pecans.
“I’m sorry,” I blurted at last.
“Don’t apologize,” Kit said, sounding strained. “It’s a fair question.”
One he had yet to answer.
He chewed his lip before admitting, “I don’t know. I don’t suppose I’ve fancied anyone really, man or woman.”
“Not ever?”
He pondered a moment more, then shook his head. “Since I left here, I haven’t been close to many people, so there hasn’t been much opportunity.”
“What about passing glances?” I tried. “What do you like? What do you find attractive?”
Kit pulled a pecan from his pocket and crushed it, dropping pieces of shell on the ground. “I’m not sure,” he said.
It wasn’t a no. He said he hadn’t been close to other people. Hadn’t had opportunity. ButIwas close. Andwehad opportunity.Thiswas an opportunity, and I didn’t intend to let it pass me by.
My hands clenched around the hem of my shirt, holding aloft the pile of pecans. With a final, determined squeeze, I let them drop to scatter across the ground. Kit watched them fall and started to say something, but I surged into him. I cupped my palms to his cheeks and pulled his face to mine for a crushing kiss.
I half-expected him to pull away, but he didn’t move at all. He stayed in place, going stiff against me until I released him and gasped a breath. My heart rattled inside my ribs, making me pant short bursts that clouded in the air. I stared at Kit, who stood frozen with his eyes unfocused.
Clearly, I’d surprised us both.
“Oh, gods.” Heat rushed my cheeks. “I don’t… I didn’t mean…”
He didn’t say he liked men.
He certainly didn’t say he likedme.
What was I thinking?
I’d imagined this evening as a romantic outing, anopportunity, but Kit remained as stunned as if I’d struck him.
