He dives in to kiss me, his hand finding the spot behind my head to pull me closer to him. Our tongues flick, and our kiss grows deeper. This is completely different. Lust hasn’t taken over us, instead it’s a desire to explore more of this thing between us.
I murmur from the back of my throat as he steals another breath from me with a damaging kiss that is a confirmation more than domination. And when we barely part, he gingerly sucks and drags along my bottom lip. Our noses nuzzle; what the hell? I’m nuzzling my nose with Keats? This is my life right now?
I approve.
“Esme, I haven’t told you something yet.”
Is this where everything goes pop?
“You are so unforgivingly beautiful that it makes me crazy. You were exquisite as my mistress and stunning whenyou are a mess on the floor. I’m not sure why I’ve waited to tell you.”
Smiling against his mouth for one last soft kiss, we retreat our heads back and our eyes linger. “What are the chances you can risk a speeding ticket? You must know a judge or something to get out of it, right?”
“Say no more.” But before he even gets to turn the engine on, his cell begins to vibrate. “Sorry, I need to take this in case it’s Summer. Bo has chickenpox.”
“Of course.” And let me drool because that is so endearing.
Keats, however, sighs. His face tightens, and he answers. “What is it, Oliver?”Oh.“Are you kidding me? Now? He’s ready to sign now at 11pm instead of earlier when this should have gone down at 4pm?” I can only vaguely hear the other end of the call. “Oliver, I swear I’m about to strangle… Yeah, I know… Okay. Yep.”
The moment Keats hangs up and looks at me with a pained face, my mood drops.
“I wish so much that this isn’t happening, but a player from another team that we’ve been trying to nab has finally agreed to sign before he has to renew with his team tomorrow. They need the contract since there is a sharp deadline.”
I frown. “Right.”
He leans in to steal another kiss. “I’m sorry. This isn’t how this was supposed to go… at all.”
Taking a deep breath, I can hear the remorse in his voice. I force myself to smile, and in truth, I do understand, though I’m still disappointed. “I get it. It’s… fine.”
“It’s not. But yeah, I need to take you home, and it seems my night will be long in a way I don’t particularly want.”
“Really, don’t worry.” I wave him off.
Keats shakes his head. “You’re not going to attack meagain for not fucking your brains out after an evening together?”
I ease and even snicker a laugh. “I wasn’t going to attack you… per se. Anyhow, no. You have my word that I will not repeat my past transgressions.”
He gives me another quick kiss. “I’m sorry.”
“I know you are. It just means you will have to make an even better impression on our second date.”
Keats growls. “A second date, eh? Sounds promising.”
“So it seems.”
And something inside me flickers from the thought.
13
KEATS
Idon’t hate my job, but right now, I kinda hate my job.
It was a long night, but I survived like always. Needing fresh air, I decide that maybe a run is in order. Maybe that sounds crazy, but I’m on an adrenaline high, and normally it wakes me up. Grabbing my running shoes from the basket next to the front door, I slip into them and glance at my watch that says 11am. In an ideal world, I would be waking up with a woman in my bed, but that was not in Esme’s and my cards last night.
Closing the front door behind me, I inhale a deep breath of fresh air on this sunny day.
Except it seems that today will be anything but shiny.
