“Right after you kissed me.”
My pulse stutters in recollection. “You kissed me.”
The corner of his mouth lifts, that infuriatingly calm grin. “I did a damn good job at it, too.”
“Troy…” I set my mug on the counter. My gaze remains where it rests when I ask, “Was last night a mistake?”
He sets his mug down next to mine before stepping into my space, slow and deliberate.
“No.”
“That simple? Just no?”
“Do you think it was?”
I shake my head. “I just—I don’t want to lose you. Your friendship. I can’t imagine?—”
“Maya.” His tone softens. “Stop overthinking everything.”
“How can I not? You treat me?—”
“The way you should have been treated? Like someone who matters? Someone who has the possibility of meaning everything?”
Before I can comprehend the meaning of what he just said, his mouth finds mine again. The kiss is softer this time. Instead of the fierce rush of passion, it’s steady and deep. His hands cup my cheeks, holding me in place. The tension I’ve been carrying since I woke up is replaced by hunger. A sweet ache for more with this man—thoughts, laughter, and above all, time.
When he finally pulls back, he rests his forehead against mine. “How do you feel right now?”
I lick my lips. “You expect me to form a coherent thought?”
“Then don’t think.” He brushes his thumb across my lower lip. “Just spend the day with me.”
“Doing what exactly?”
“Come see what harvest is really about. Bring your camera.”
I’m about to protest that I don’t want to interrupt the flow of his employees when he brushes another kiss across my lips. “Come on, Maya. I promise nothing about this will be more complicated than what you want it to be.”
Somehow I know he’s talking about more than the afternoon. But I’m already too invested to say no.
19
ONSIDE KICK – SHORT KICKOFF DESIGNED TO BE RECOVERED BY KICKING TEAM.
The taste of Maya’s lips kept me awake long after I should have been asleep. Every time I closed my eyes, all I could see in my minds eye was her finger dragging down my mouth. Then all I could recall was the way I captured her lips beneath mine.
Most importantly, the way she wholeheartedly responded.
I was concerned about how things would be between us this morning, worried about it all night in fact until sleep became a long-lost dream instead of a practical life choice. I gave up on the idea and made my way from my rooms on the first floor to the kitchen to line up shots of espresso before the vat of coffee I would need to be marinated in to make today livable.
That was until she eased into the kitchen.
The rosy bloom that rose in her cheeks, naturally highlighting her spectacular blue eyes, kept me captivated as we verbally revisited the kiss in enough detail to make me hard as a rock. Then, I got to kiss her again. It was every bit as mind-blowing as the first time, but left me humbled. Grateful.
Willing to do anything to protect her and the insurmountable amount of trust she was sharing with me to give us a shot. So, it’s not a surprise she jumped at the opportunity to retreat behind her camera lens—even if I knew this was something her photographer’s eye would love to see.
We’ve kept the conversation light between us as we make our way to where the workers are steadily snipping the ripe grapes into baskets. As we approach, she murmurs, “Would you look at that?”
She lifts her camera even as I try to spot something out of the ordinary. Not spying anything different, I ask, “What is it?”
