“Probably not.”
“That’s what I thought.” He opened his door and got out. Her objections followed him. She was still talking when he reached her side. “You’re not going to sit there, are you?”
“I might.” Her arms stayed stubbornly folded. “To keep you from ruining it.”
“Ruining what?”
That made her hands fly apart. “This,” she said. “The date.”
“Oh. So it’s been good so far?”
She nodded.
“Better than good?”
“Don’t push it.”
He didn’t. “Then the final verdict hinges on the ending.”
“Yes.”
“And walking you to the door is not the way you want to go.”
“That’s right. It’s not unreasonable.”
He was quiet, thinking.
“Well?” she asked.
Sullivan shrugged. “Okay. I believe we could negotiate terms at the door, but if you’re unsure, then we’ll end it here.” He opened the door wider and stepped aside to let her out.
Ramsey swiveled sideways, set her feet on the ground, and stood. She half expected that he might block her path, and when he didn’t, she wasn’t sure if she was relieved or disappointed. She moved away so he could close the door and then hesitated a moment after he did. Later she would reflect that it was that moment’s hesitation that set things in motion, but just then the impact of it was lost on her.
He was standing close, an arm braced on either side of her, making it impossible for her to move right or left or forward. It should have felt like a trap. Instead, it felt like an embrace. She could make out his still features in the diffuse light provided by a street lamp on the corner. He didn’t move, but he watched. She thought she saw flint in his eyes, and was sure of it when something sparked. Perhaps it was a trick of the light, but she didn’t think so. She lifted her face as he lowered his head. His lips brushed hers. The kiss was more promising than it was persuasive. It was as if he was easing her into it rather than pressing any sort of advantage.
She raised her arms, palms sliding upward along his chest. She threaded her fingers at the back of his neck, applied just enough pressure to keep him where he was. The slant of their mouths changed. He leaned into her. She murmured something that might have been a word against his lips, or it might have only been the sound of her pleasure. The kiss deepened. His lips were warm, firm. She felt herself giving under them, moist and pliant and, yes, wanting.
Her breasts swelled under the loose tank and she felt a queer little contraction between her thighs. God, Briony had been right. She needed to tell this man to slide right on in to home. She counted the car at her back as a good thing. If he put his tongue in her mouth, she was going to come.
Just when she thought she might come anyway, he raised his head, took a steadying breath and gave her a moment to catch hers. She unfolded her hands from around his neck and let them fall to the level of his belt. Her fingertips snagged purchase in the leather and rested there.
“Do you want to come in?” Ramsey issued the invitation before she considered whether she wanted him to take her up on it. The words hung there for a long time. She thought about taking them back, but that seemed cowardly so she let them be.Que sera, sera.
“I do,” he said. “But I’m not going to.”
“You’re not?”
“I think that might be a bridge too far. We should just leave it. Try for a bad date the next time.”
She nodded. “We could do that. Today was probably an aberration.”
“Probably.”
“I’m off Wednesday. That has to be a bad date night.”
“It’s hump day.”
Ramsey’s lips twitched. “Right. Way too much pressure.”
