My lips twitch, but I nod. “Not bad for your first try.”
“Which means it’s shit.”
I reach for the stuffed pony, its long mane the perfect practice material for Rhodes’s first attempt at developing his Braiding Skills.
Which are…developing, I suppose.
“We all have to start somewhere,” I deadpan.
And predictably get a mock glare.
“Here,” I say, undoing the band at the bottom. He’s really good at putting ponytail holders in so it takes a minute to release it from the synthetic hair, and longer still to comb out the tangles. “Let’s start again with something easier.”
“There’s something easier?”
My lips twitch. “Well, maybe noteasier.”
Standing, I move around behind him, reaching forward and sectioning out the hair. If I do this from his angle, maybe it’ll stick a little better. “So we have our three pieces, remember?”
He turns his head, eyes coming to mine for a long moment.
“Yes,” he says quietly.
I lean in closer, try to ignore the spicy scent of him that makes me want to shift even nearer, to press my nose to his neck and inhale deeply. “Now”—I clear my throat—“we take these two outside sections and split each of those into three different pieces.”
“And that’s where you lose me,” he jokes. “I’m not an octopus. I don’t have eight hands.”
I giggle.
Then almost gasp when he turns his head.
Because his mouth isrightthere.
“I really like it when you laugh,” he says softly.
My lungs convulse. “I, uh?—”
He settles his hands over mine. “So this part is in three,” he murmurs. “Now what?”
Now what indeed?
Kiss me.
I release a slow, silent breath.
“Now we braid this chunk,” I say.
“Right.”
But he doesn’t remove his hands from the top of mine…and so I start slowly braiding the pieces, trying not to feel like this is some weird version ofGhostand that infamous pottery scene.
My breasts brush his back and I have to swallow a gasp. Hard muscles. Broad strength. Slightly roughened palms brushing over my skin.
I shiver and his eyes come to mine again.
“Now what?” he murmurs, and I realize we’ve reached the bottom of the braid.
“We tie it off,” I push out.
