“A little.” Calliope smiles. Her cheeks are rosy with warmth and alcohol, and her eyes sparkle with mirth. “You’re not as well packaged as you seem, Elijah.”
“I hope that’s a compliment.”
“Sure.” She giggles and her hand clutches at my forearm. “It is. It is. You’re very much a gentleman, but there’s something so honest about you underneath. I like that.”
We stand on a sidewalk covered in a light dusting of snow, snow that floats around us in soft, dusty flakes that act as if they’retoo scared to continue to the ground. Some drift and settle into Calliope’s hair and catch on her lashes as she gazes up at me.
I raise my arm, and a taxi pulls to a stop next to us in record time.
“I like that you like that,” I say softly. “Because I like you.”
Her lips twitch. “I could tell,” she replies. “This was…” Her head shakes. “Everything about tonight was amazing. Not just the food and the place and being able to dress up and feel like a woman other than a mom… It was beautiful. Thank you for inviting me.”
“Thank you for accepting. I’d love to do this again,” I say as I open the door for her, but as she moves forward as if she’s about to get in, I place my other hand on the roof of the taxi so that she’s lightly trapped between my arms and between my body and the car.
“Me too, but Elijah… things could get complicated.”
“Hush,” I say softly. “There’s only one more thing. Miss Locke?”
“Yes, Mr. Baird?” She looks up at me through her lashes and her lips part slightly. A single snowflake survives the heat between us and lands directly on her lower lip.
“I want to kiss you right now.” My voice trembles, low and deep as I gaze deeply into her eyes. My heart’s racing like I’m running a marathon and butterflies flutter around my gut. This moment, this single moment, tells me whether I’m on the right path or not. Whatever complications she fears, I’ll soothe as soon as I can.
But in this moment, it’s just me and her.
“Then kiss me,” she whispers, and a tremor warms her words.
I lean forward slowly until our noses touch and she tilts her head up for a better angle. An inch away from kissing her, I hesitate and let the anticipation burn until she curls one hand into my shirt. Then I lean the rest of the way and kiss her, trapping that single snowflake between our mouths and drinking down the brief bite of cold that’s instantly soothed by the warmth of her mouth.
She tastes of fruit and chocolate, her lips as soft as they look. I keep the pressure respectful, even as heat curls low in my belly, and match the shift in her head as she adjusts the position of the kiss.
Everything about her that I love floods to the forefront of my mind and when her hand slides up the side of my neck, my heart jumps.
I’m definitely on the right path.
22
CALLIOPE
“Sit. Sit, sit, sit, sit!” I usher Stacey into the kitchen and show her to the stool near the island counter. “Sit!”
“Okay!” Stacey laughs. “What’s with the rush?”
“This!” I dart back to the stove and remove the pan from the heat just before the burgers burn. “Phew.”
“Honey, you could have left me waiting on the doorstep for a little longer if you were frying something.”
“I know.” I chuckle. “I just didn’t want you to freeze your ass off out there.”
“I can handle the cold!” Stacey laughs. “Besides, they say you burn extra calories when you’re trying to keep your body warm, so it’s a win-win.”
Our eyes meet and we burst out laughing. “Like you’re willing to get rid of your curves.”
“I do love my butt,” Stacey agrees. “So, what’s for dinner?”
“Are you okay with cheeseburgers and curly fries? Not the most adult food because Nick is in the next room, but!” I pause and open the fridge, pulling out a green bottle. “I have wine?”
“Girl, you had me at cheese.”
