Even before the door swung open, I knew that no matter what Kip looked like, I'd be fine with it.
He made a valid point when he said I might not be attracted to him. Even if someone is good looking, you're not automatically guaranteed to be drawn to them simply because they tick some of your boxes.
But the real reason why I didn't care what he looked like was because to me, Kip was already beautiful.
Beautiful in the way he looked after me.
Beautiful for how he made me laugh.
Beautiful for opening up to me.
Beautiful in the strength he showed to turn his life around.
Beautiful for singing so terribly off-key.
All that said, the man standing in front of me doesn't just ticksomeof my boxes. Kip Minari checks off every single physical quality I like in a man.
Tall? Check.
Broad shoulders? Check.
Well-defined matured jawline? Check.
A genuine smile that reaches a set of warm, espresso-dark eyes? Check.
His face shows character lines that can only be earned over time, and a few distinguished silver threads thread his thick chestnut-brown hair at the temples, which only makes him hotter in my eyes.
"Hi," I say, finding my voice once I stop gawking at him like I'm some sort of oddball. "It's great to properly meet you, too."
I take a tentative step forward at the same time as Kip closes the remaining distance between us in two giant strides.
His presence overwhelms me in the best way possible. Some of that expensive-smelling cologne that filled my nose when I first entered the store belongs to him. A faint trace lingers in the air between us, a subtle, woodsy reminder of just how new all of this truly is. We've barely scratched the surface of getting to know each other.
Soft but strong fingers glide under my chin, lifting my gaze until I'm staring deep into his warm brown eyes. My heart is beating hard, every cell in my body is pulsing, but I'm also filled with an inexplicable calmness. Like there's something about this moment, about this man, that transcends the strangeness of how our lives entwined and just feelssoright.
He glances at the fitting room. "I'm sorry you had to go through that."
I shrug, trying to play it off. "It's fine. A fitting ending to a horrendous year." When his face tightens with what looks a lot like concern, I coast my hands along the ridges of his shoulders. "But I have a feeling something good might come out of it."
His expression lifts. "I share the exact same feeling." He zeros in on my lips, brushing the pad of his thumb along my chin. "Can I kiss you?"
"No," I say, my hands coming to a stop in the middle of his shoulders, some of my newly found confidence kicking in. "I'mgoing to kissyou."
I can't explain where my sudden self-assurance comes from, but I suspect fucking myself in front of a mirror while being told what to do by a deep-voiced stranger could have something to do with it…
Or the lack of oxygen in the fitting room; one or the other.
I close my eyes and tilt my head up. Our lips touch for the very first time, a light feeling sweeping through my body from head to toe, stirring a part of my soul that's only just now making its existence known.
Kip's hand gently cups the side of my face as the kiss deepens, gradually, naturally, taking on an energy all of its own. He pushes past the seam of my lips and explores the insides of my mouth with his tongue, softly at first before tugging me roughly into his body in a show of dominance that sends bolts ofyes pleaseandgive me so much fucking more of thatshuddering through me.
A sense of urgency takes over, like I've been waiting for this moment my whole life, and now that it's here, I want to savor every single part of it.
Latching onto his wide shoulders, I do some exploring of my own, grinding against him as my senses fill with the sweet taste of him, the assured feel of him, and the masculine scent of that lingering woodsy cologne.
"Not bad," I say when he pulls back and stares intently into my eyes. "Might be enough to get me not to sue."
He smiles, causing the skin around his eyes to crinkle, and I love that he instantly gets my sense of humor. "I'm willing to supply more of them, if that helps sway your thinking."
