She shrugs and crosses her arms over her middle before she looks up at me. “I don’t want to be kissed by someone who doesn’t want to kiss me, that’s for shit sure.”
“But I—I never said … I didn’t mean …” I trail off as I consider my next move.DoI want to kiss Claire?
My gaze zeroes in on her mouth and roams over her barely parted lips, and a very telling surge of heat courses through me. The diphenhydramine may have gotten the best of me for a minute, but I certainly don’t need to worry about the long-term side effects of those vasoconstrictors around her.
Okay, so I definitelywantto kiss Claire, but that doesn’t mean Ishouldkiss her. Because I shouldn’t be kissing any woman unless there’s real potential for us in the future, and Claire is most likely a dead end.
Then again, procreation is a pretty vital function of marriage, at least for me, and it’s not like I haven’t used kissing to vet my dates for compatibility in the past.
I clear my throat, considering the possibilities with the woman in front of me. She may not be a great candidate on paper, but she’s already garnering a better physical reaction from me than my last few dates, maybe even better than anyone I can remember. And since kissing the others helped me determine we weren’t well-suited, I should probably kiss Claire, too, even if only to make absolutely certain I can rule her out.
I take a step closer and reach for her arm before I attempt to speak again. “Then, would it be okay?—”
“Not if that’s how you’re asking,” Claire interrupts me to declare with her chin lifted tauntingly. “In fact, I think I’m pretty transparent most of the time. So I’m gonna go ahead and say you shouldn’t have to ask at all.”
My heart quickens again, but I think it’s a fight-or-flight response this time. Because she’s right—what a lame approach to the woman I’m practically dying to kiss, especially after she’s been so open and honest about her feelings. And while my default move in this situation has always been flight, I think I want to stick it out and fight this time, for her.
Before I know it, my feet are moving of their own volition andtaking her up on that dare. My arms are next, dragging her body flush with mine as I close my eyes and let my instincts take over completely.
Her hands fist into my shirt when I tip my head down to whisper beside her ear. “Fair enough. As much as I’d like to kiss you right now, you deserve to be kissed by a man who doesn’t have to question whether he’s earned it. And I don’t think I’ve done enough to earn a kiss from you just yet.”
The first thing I see when I open my eyes is her pulse thrumming beneath her skin, and she lets out a breathless sound as I graze my lips over the spot.
“Yeah. I should make you work for it,” she rasps, contradicting herself with the way she bends her neck to give me more room.
I swallow hard, practically salivating over her suggestion. Have I ever wondered what a woman tastes like before? Have I ever been this desperate to kiss anyone, much less a stranger?
My tongue involuntarily darts out to wet my lips, answering the question for me.
“You should,” I confirm, my voice deep and gravelly, and I brush my nose over her skin this time. She doesn’t smell like the artificial and overly floral perfumes I’m used to. Instead, her woodsy, smoky scent clouds my brain and somehow elicits a growl from my chest.
Who am I right now?
What is she doing to me? How is she so easily dismantling decades of practiced self-control? I watch her teeth sink into her bottom lip, and I grip her arms tightly, afraid I might combust.
“Are you even the kind of guy who kisses on the first date?” she whispers, the reminder knocking me back into reality.
I cringe and let out a quiet groan before dropping my forehead to her shoulder. “Don’t make me answer that,” I mumble, and she huffs out a laugh.
“Ugh, fine! Take it slow, then,” Tiana calls out mockingly. “But one of you better find me on Instagram later and give me an update. You owe it to me!”
I lift my head to find her pointing a finger at me. “Hey, I’m doingmy best here, but I’m still working with a slight disadvantage,” I say and raise my hands in surrender.
Claire’s laugh grows bigger, and I beam at her as I absorb another scolding from Tiana. Eventually, our driver bids us a good night, leaving Claire and me alone on the sidewalk.
“Shall we?” I ask, gesturing in the direction of the pharmacy, and she nods before we begin walking in silence.
“Hold on, my feet are killing me,” she groans after the first few steps and pulls us to a stop, using my arm for leverage as she slips off her shoes.
“You’re not going barefooted out here?”
“I don’t have much choice, do I?”
“I’ll carry you,” I tell her, my stomach dipping at the prospect of her wrapping her arms around my neck while I lift her.
She frowns, obviously not finding the idea as exciting as I do. “No way. You’ll drop me.”
“I’m fine, I swear. But if it makes you feel better, you can ride on my back,” I offer.
