“It’s notwhatshe says, Leon, it’s thewayshe says it. She hates me, end of.”
He raises his hands in mock surrender. “Okay. But if your feelings are genuine, then there’s a reason she doesn’t like you.”
“I’ve never given her a reason to dislike me. What’s her problem with me?” My curiosity is piqued.
“You’re a triple threat.”
“A triple threat?” I take a sip of the fine wine and let the earthy, sweet herbal notes fill my mouth. Bliss. I can already feel the alcohol taking effect, relaxing my muscles.
Leon starts making a list. “One, you have a body to die for; you could have easily been a model.”
I scoff, almost snorting wine out of my nose. “A model?” Coughing at his ridiculousness, my cheeks flush with color, and I clear my throat to let him continue.
“You’re an ER doctor. An excellent one at that. You’re brilliant.”
“You don’t know that. You’ve never been to the ER before.”
“You took care of an Eagles’ player, Bryan Hooper, when he broke his collarbone. He said you were brilliant. I already knew that, though.” He shrugs cockily.
“Okay, and the third thing?” I press him a bit more.
“You’re my best friend, and Sutton has mentioned in the past that instead of taking you as my plus one to events, she should be the one accompanying me. She’s jealous of you. Also, she asked me out on a date once.” He looks up to the side as if thinking about that. “Twice, now I come to think about it.”
“She’s too young for you.” She’s fifteen years younger than Leon. Just the thought of her touching him makes my blood curdle.
“Age gap romance, isn’t that what they call it in those books you read?” He’s so flippant about the whole thing as I imagine making a voodoo doll of Sutton and sticking pins into it.
“So, youhavebeen paying attention to what I read?” I tease, doing my best to hide my annoyance, setting my wine glass down.
He steps closer, leaving just a few inches between us. “When it comes to you, I’m always paying attention.”
“Is that right?” I’m too startled by his stream of compliments to ask what else he’s noticed, and I suddenly feel shy, not something I am familiar with, while ripples of excitement dance in my stomach.
He nods as his mouth moves closer to mine, the space between us crackling with unspoken energy. The moment ignites; it’s magnetic, volatile, electric, and pulls us together to ignite the flame.
“That’s right, baby.”
Millimeters apart, our lips softly brush against each other. This moment is monumental because if we kiss, it’s the first time we’ve touched lips since our twenties. It’s like opening a long-forgotten book, flicking through pages, and jumping from chapter to chapter of the times we’ve spent together.
And finally, after all this time, we’re about to kiss again.
What happens next, I don’t know, but I’m desperate to find out and take a leap of faith with him because it feels so right.
His warm breath brushes against my skin. It’s a whisper of all we’ve been and all we’re about to become.
“Erika.” My name falls from his lips.
“What’s happening between us?” I ask, my voice sounding a little croaky.
“What I’ve always wanted to happen,” he replies, his eyes anchoring me in place.
I gasp at his honesty and the words I’ve been longing to hear, my feelings for him intensifying as the seconds pass.
“Know this,” he adds. “Me and you, we’re not just best friends. We’re unavoidable. And tomorrow, we’re going to talk about what comes next. I’m done pretending I don’t want more.”
His heartfelt confession causes my brain to stutter for a beat as it tries to keep up. “You want more? Are you sure?” I’m totally entranced by his words and the way he’s looking at me.
“Yes.” The firmness in his voice tells me he’s not messing around.
