“That you’ve never played putt-putt but always wanted to? Of course, Vivi.”
She came closer, rose on her tiptoes, and kissed me. I clasped her tighter and happily kissed her back.
Chapter 20
Chapter
Vivian
* * *
I’d been kissed by Lennon before, but I’d never been so consumed and involved in a kiss that every nerve in my lips, hands, and chest exploded with the need for more. With a gentle dip of his chin, Lennon touched the tip of his tongue to the bow of my upper lip, and I melted further, my mind so full of dopamine, I wasn’t sure I’d ever come down.
His tongue smoothed against mine, and my brain melted. Thoughts scattered, pleasure mounted, and I could do nothing more than accept what he gave me. And it was so. Good.
Eventually, he pulled back, his chest heaving, his dark eyes half covered by drooping lids, his lips still damp from our kiss.
“Holy—that was so hot,” I breathed. “I’m surprised we still have on clothes, still have a standing house.”
He winked, and I whimpered because Lennon winking did things to my insides—molten-chocolate things that might just be a mini orgasm.
“You like kissing me, Vivi? I’ll kiss you all day, if that’s what you want.”
“More,” I mumbled against his lips.
“Well, I need to break this off now so I can take you out.” He spoke against my lips, as if he couldn’t bear to be parted from me.
I understood, as I didn’t want to be parted from him.
He rested his forehead against mine and heaved a breath. “It’s so hard to step back when all I want is to lay you out and feast on that beautiful body.”
Definitely not-so-mini orgasm that time. I whimpered as I pressed my lips to his.
“You are so perfect for me,” he mumbled. “I can’t believe I wasted months?—”
I cupped his cheeks and stared into his eyes. “No, Lennon. No recrimination, no regrets. We have now. We need to focus on that.”
He smiled, but his eyes held residual guilt and pain that nothing I said would eliminate. “Okay.”
I smoothed my skirt, then my hair, enjoying Lennon’s gaze tracking my hands. “So…putt-putt?”
A devious expression crossed Lennon’s face. “I think I’ll need to show you how to hold the putter.”
I shivered. Oh, we were going to play…
For lunch, Lennon took me to the Rainbow Lodge, which was a quiet, sumptuous treat set in a log cabin. When I glanced at the menu, I couldn’t help but smile.
“You remembered I like trout,” I said, that warm fuzziness filling my chest.
“And crab. Both are together in that one,” Lennon said, pointing to my menu. He could do that because he sat next to me at the white-linen-covered table, not across from me. His thigh brushed mine, and a pleasant little shiver worked its way up my spine.
When he rubbed against my leg the second time, I dropped my gaze and bit my lip, excitement bubbling as I came up with a plan.
“I’ll have the rainbow trout with lump crab and pecan butter,” I said, smiling at our kind-faced waiter…while sliding my fingertips up the inside seam of Lennon’s khakis. He ordered the mixed grill, and I flattened my palm at the top of his rock-hard thigh. When I wiggled my fingers, I could touch something else that was rock hard.
Lennon waited until our server departed before he rasped, “You’re playing with fire, Vivi.”
“I don’t think so,” I said. “I’m showing you what I want.” I leaned closer—so close my lips brushed his ear. “And I’m telling you I want you, Lennon. I want you badly. I’ve wanted you for months, and I expect you to make me feel better. No, I expect you to make me feel fantastic. Soon.”
