I didn't answer with words. I kissed him again.
Deeper this time. I pulled him off the sidewalk into a small alley off Main Street and pressed him against the side of the hardware store. His back hit the brick wall behind him, and I bracketed him there, one hand braced beside his head, the other still gripping his waist. He made another sound, something between a gasp and a groan, and his hands slid up my chest, over my shoulders, into my hair.
“Holden.” My name in his mouth, breathless. “Come home with me.”
I pulled back enough to see his face. The flush on his cheeks, the way his chest was heaving. The want in his eyes, open and undisguised.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.” He tugged at my collar again, pulled me down for one more kiss, quick and fierce. “Please.”
Please.
We walked. Not fast, not slow. His hand found mine, our fingers lacing together. The streets were empty, the town quiet around us, and I was aware of every point of contact. His palm against mine. His shoulder brushing my arm. The occasional bump of his hip when the sidewalk narrowed.
Neither of us talked. There was nothing to say that wouldn't make this more complicated than it already was.
His rental house was three blocks from Main Street. The dogs were pressed against the window when we approached, ears perked, tails already going.
“They'll want to say hi,” Jamie said, digging for his keys. “Fair warning.”
“I can handle it.”
He unlocked the door, and the dogs exploded toward us, all wiggles and excited yips. I crouched to greet them, letting Marceline lick my chin while Bubblegum leaned her weight against my knee. Jamie stood in the doorway watching, a soft expression on his face that I couldn't quite read.
“What?” I asked.
“Nothing.” He shook his head, but he was smiling. “Just... you. They like you.”
I stood. Crossed the small entryway. Looked down at him, at this man who'd walked into my shop and turned my quiet life inside out.
“I've been thinking about this all day,” I said, touching his cheek. Low. Honest. “About you.”
Jamie's eyes went dark. His smile turned into something else, something that made my pulse kick hard.
“Good,” he said. “I was hoping it wasn't just me.”
He grabbed my collar—he liked doing that—and kissed me again.
Chapter Five
Jamie
Marceline and Bubblegum were losing their minds at our feet as we kissed, wiggling and yipping for attention. Holden just stepped over them, walking me backward toward the hallway without breaking the kiss. His hands moved from my waist to my hip to the small of my back, and I couldn't think past the solid wall of his body pressing me into the wall.
“Dogs,” I managed against his mouth.
He pulled back just enough to look at me. His breathing was ragged, pupils blown wide, dark eyes almost black in the dim entryway. “What?”
“They need—” Marceline was pawing at my leg, her whole body vibrating with the need for acknowledgment. “Give me two minutes. Let me get them settled.”
Holden stepped back. He dragged a hand through his hair, watching me with a hunger that made my knees weak.
“Bedroom's down the hall,” I said, pointing. “Go. Get comfortable. I'll be right there.”
He nodded once and headed down the hall while I turned to the girls.
“Hey, babies. I know. I see you.” I scratched behind their ears, my pulse still hammering. “You're such good girls, yes you are. But Daddy needs some alone time right now, okay?”
