This was definitely another detail he probably wouldn’t have heard had she not sampled the wine tonight.
“Well, that’s embarrassing,” he said. Jace was no Mybook expert, so he shouldn’t be surprised that he didn’t know much about how it worked.
“No, it’s not embarrassing,” Amy said. “It’sreal.And anyone who knows me knows I’ve got a soft spot for things like that. Uncensored moments, cute, little flaws… I thought it was cute.”
Cute?She’d called him beautiful and cute all in the same evening. Just what was she trying to do to his ego?
“I’ve had a really great time tonight, Jace,” she crooned, her lids getting heavy and dreamlike.
He grinned. “I have too.” He closed his eyes for a blink, giving in to the sensation of her warm breath grazing his jawline. He had told himself that he would definitely not kiss Amy before telling her about the site.
C’mon, Jace. You’re strong enough to withstand torture in prison camps, but not this?
Suddenly her lips grazed his, teasing him with a soft, warm breath that pulled him in even deeper. Just like the wine cellar. So close. So tempting.
Oh, forget it.Jace wrapped his fingers around her hip, the warm curve like a gift in his hand, and breathed in the tempting warmth of her breath. He tilted his head, ready to taste her lips once and for all when his stubborn resistance kicked up again.You can’t kiss her ‘til you tell her why you’re here, you jerk.
Maybe hewasa jerk. But he couldn’t act like one with Amy Nelson. Jace had seen a whole lot of his team members sayI dorecently,ready to embrace a deep, meaningful relationship. One where love remained through flaws and weaknesses. Where each party was committed, despite the rough roads and uncertainties ahead. If Jace wanted something like that, he’d have to do things right.
He exhaled a shaky breath and pulled back the slightest bit. “Amy,” he whispered, cursing the skies for the moment of clarity. “I ummm…”
Amy tipped her head back too, eyes shifting from their narrowed, inviting state to a rounder, almost startled look. “What?”
Heaven help him, what was he supposed to say now? This was hardly the appropriate moment to tell her about the website. “I didn’t mention this, but I plan to stay in town for a while.” He glanced into the fading light over the distant treetops, then set his eyes back on her. “I’d like to use that time to get to know you better and… take things slowly.”Great. He sounded like a girl.
Amy’s lip twisted. She turned to gaze over the orchard as well. “Oh.”A sliver of terror clung to the word like a leech. Suddenly she sat up, began climbing to her feet.
“Wait,” Jace said. “This is good. I didn’t mean we had to…” But she was already talking over him.
“I’ve got to shoot a live segment in the morning, anyway. And you’re right. This was… yeah, we were moving too fast.Iwas. We were.” She stood on that final resolution and set a hand on one hip, looking at him expectantly.
“Yeah,” he agreed, climbing to his feet as well. “It was more me than you.”Lie.
Amy crouched down to collect the berries they’d bought. Jace was glad they’d already taken the apples to the car. He snatched the blanket off the ground, gave it a good shake, and wadded it into one arm before offering his other to Amy. Sometimes Jace really did hate himself.
She stared at the offered forearm like she hated it. Jace wondered if she hated him in the moment as well. But then, in two quick moves, Amy shoved the berries into her other hand and slipped her arm through his.
The evening was ruined. He shook his head, gulped down any words that might make it worse, and led Amy back to the SUV.
As he opened the door for her to climb in, one booming question played in his mind: Exactly what sort of harm would have come from kissing her?
* * *
Talk about humiliating.Just when Amy convinced herself she was in some new, grown up, confident sort of state, she went and did something to erase all the progress she’d made. But why would leaning in for a kiss be such a wrong thing? Heck, he was the one cuddling closer.
Plus, before Jace pulled away, he leaned in.Wayin.She was half tempted to turn to him and call him a tease.
The idea put her so close to laughing that she cleared her throat.
“What was that?” Jace, who hadn’t turned the music on this time around, took his eyes off the dark road for a blink.
Amy shook her head.Don’t say anything, Amy. Do NOT—“Sorry if I made you uncomfortable back there.”
“You didn’t.”
“I obviously did.”
“Amy,” Jace blurted. “You didn’t make me uncomfortable, for crying out loud. I just didn’t want to take advantage of the situation. You seemed a little… affected by the wine.”
