I press my lips together, unwilling to give him even another centimeter.
And he moves closer, his eyes still on mine. There’s no personal space left between us, no argument that we’re not closer than we should be.
I know that I should take a step back.
But before I realize what I’m doing, I press my body against his, tipping my face up to his and brushing my lips along his jaw.
“Eve,” he says, pressing my hand into his chest before following the line of my arm with his. His opposite hand falls to my hip as he cups my jaw. “I really want to kiss you right now.”
I wait for him to continue.
“But I can’t if you’re going to think I’m doing it for any reason other than really, really wanting to.”
I run the hand on his chest up to his neck, the feel of his warm skin on mine sending shivers up and down my spine as I tug his face down.
His lips press against mine as his hand winds around my waist, pulling me close.
And then his tongue brushes along my bottom lip and I open to him, relishing the way he grips me tighter, his taut torso pressing against mine.
My hands run over his rock-hard shoulders and those strong arms of his, exploring his body in a way I didn’t even let myself imagine until now.
How it would feel to stumble backward, have him hoist me up on that picnic table and have his way with me…
And just as a quiet moan leaves my traitorous throat, I hear whistling from somewhere in the sunflowers.
Vic, if I had to guess.
I press against his chest, creating space between us. There’s a bewildered look in his eye, his head still angled toward me and his hands gripping my shirt as if trying tokeep me close. He rests his forehead against mine, our gazes locked.
“Evie,” he murmurs, his voice low and gravelly. The sound sends another little shiver down my spine.
“We don’t have to talk about it,” I say, the whistling growing louder. I glance over my shoulder, wondering if he can see us through the sunflowers.
“We should,” he says, his arm tight around my back.
I hear the rustling of sunflowers, and I know I need to extricate myself from this man’s arms before things have to be explained.
I push away from him, turning quickly and slipping among the sunflowers before we can be spotted together.
17
RYDER
“Ikissed the sunflower girl.”
My grandmother’s facelights up. “You what?”
“I kissed the sunflower girl and now she won’t talk to me.”
Gam rears back, resting her drink on the table between us. Her brow is furrowed. “Did the sunflower girlwantyou to kiss her?”
“She kissed me first! I mean, not on my mouth?—”
“Ryder,” Gam warns.
“Here!” I say, pointing to the spot on my face her lips grazed me.
Gam shakes her head. “It’s like you’re trying to give me a heart attack.”
