He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose as he waited a few beats to respond. “There are a couple of reasons why you are different from what you think you’re referring to when you saydate.” He paused and gave me a serious look. “To start, you don’t give a shit about what I do. That’s a first for me. Second, you made desserts for a grumpy, unhappy man who did not deserve them. Third, you are full of joy, and I have to say, it is just about the sexiest thing a woman can wear.”
“Joy,” I repeated, sounding a little breathless. “Joy is sexy.”
“Yes.” He bit down on his bottom lip and pulled me close to him again. “Plus, you stood up to my friends and they are jackasses. That was hot.”
I snorted and felt charmed all the way to my toes. “Oh. This answer is unexpected.”
“Good. I like surprising you.” He rubbed his hands up and down my arms and the air seemed thicker between us.Heavier. Charged with chemistry and lust and want on both ends, and I had no idea what to do with it.
I’d made out with a few guys, let a couple get to second and a half base, but Brigham oozed sexual prowess and the nerves changed to worry. There was no way I could keep up with him. It wasn’t possible. I pulled back a bit and he drew his eyebrows together, but the lady yelled for us to get ready. The escape was welcome and I grabbed all the props I could. The top hat, the beads, the large glasses and the fake pet bird. “Ready.”
“Wow, if I thought you were sexy before…” he teased, putting on a hot pink boa, a sailor hat and a necklace with a large clock on it. “Let’s do this!”
I laughed at his goofiness, because that I could handle. The lustful eyes, though… My insides squirmed. We posed in four different shots as the photobooth took pictures. We stood back to back, then cheek to cheek, posed with a normal smile, and one where I stuck out my tongue. We each got a printout of the four pictures and the image made me inexplicably happy. “This will so go on my fridge.”
“I was just thinking that.” He put his arm around me and carefully put the strips into the inside pocket of his suit jacket. “Now let’s go network, Blue Bell. Then we can head back to our apartment, where I want to kiss you more.”
Chapter Eight
Brigham
Sarah lost the glow from meeting various potential clients, and in place of that excitement was nervousness. She chewed on her thumbnail for most of the ride back to the apartment and she didn’t have a witty remark for Ferdinand when he scoffed at our return. She still held my hand, though, and I waited until we got into the elevator to find out why her demeanor had changed. “Sarah.”
“Uh-oh, my name. Not my nickname. That’s not good news,” she said, speaking way too fast and releasing my hand.
“Why are you nervous? I thought you had a good time tonight.” I paused. “Unless I’m really off my game.”
“No. I did. I really did.” She put her hands on her slim hips and pressed her red lips together tight. “It was the best date—only date, really—that I’ve been on.”
“Only date?” I asked, laughing at the end. “No way.”
“Yes way, Brigham.” She sighed and a hurt look crossed her face. “This won’t be a shock to you, but I’m not…experienced, okay? Dating, men, kissing stuff…it’s not my forte.” She crossed her arms and couldn’t stand still more than a few seconds. “I keep thinking about your comment about kissing me more and I’m nervous. What if I kiss poorly and messy and unlike your other experiences? Are we friends? Do friends kiss? All of this is going in my brain and you look like you do and I look like me and—”
“Sweetheart,” I said, pulling her into a hug against me. She wrapped her arms around my waist and I cradled the back of her head. “With all those thoughts, no wonder you were chewing the shit out of your fingernail.”
“Ugh.” She groaned into my chest and it made me laugh. “I’m embarrassed. This isn’t a way to end a date.”
“No. It’s not.”
The elevator doors opened on our floor, and I walked her down to Mr. Alexandre’s door and thought about my next move. I could kiss her, invite myself in or invite her over. She reacted to my touch—that was for sure—and I knew I could make her feel good, but she needed space. It would do me good to take a step back and go slow for the first time ever. “Thank you for coming with me tonight.”
“You’re welcome.” She leaned against the black door and looked up at me with heavy eyes, filled with want and uncertainty. “It was great meeting all those people. Thank you.”
I nodded and ran a finger down her neck and traced her throat until I could cup her chin in my hand. “Can I kiss you goodnight?”
“Please.Please.”
She met me halfway and threw her arms around my shoulders when our mouths met for the third time that night. She kissed with so much passion that it was messy but incredible. She had a faint scent of whiskey on her breath and my dick twitched when she parted her lips just enough for me to slip my tongue inside her mouth.My god.
She moaned when I tilted her neck back so I could kiss her deeper, harder, and I wanted to spend hours with my mouth on hers. Her gasps between kisses, the sound of pleasure coming from her throat and her needy hands digging into my arms were so fucking sexy I had to pull back before I took it too far.
Her lips were swollen and her rapid breathing matched mine. She brought her fingers up to them and touched her bottom one as she widened her eyes. “I like kissing you.”
“I feel the same way about you, Blue Bell.” I stepped backward toward my door and felt something along the lines of giddy and horny. It was weird and new. “Have a good night.”
“Uh-huh.” She had a dazed look on her face before she ran inside, leaving me standing in the hallway with a stupid-ass grin. I liked my temporary neighbor. I really did.
I just hoped I could keep my shitshow life away from her.
