I groaned playfully. “You’re really not going to tell me?”
“Nope.”
I crossed my arms in mock indignation. “You could at least give me a hint.”
“Okay,” he said, tapping the steering wheel. “It’s somewhere I think you’ll like.”
“That’s not a hint.”
“No,” he agreed, lips twitching, “it’s not.”
I shook my head, laughing under my breath as the Femmes played softly between us.
Warm air from the vent brushed my cheek. The tulips were sitting in a vase at home. Ava was safe and happy with people who cared about her. And I was on a date I actually wanted to be on.
The miles slipped by in an easy, companionable quiet. Music hummed softly between us, The Cure now, low and dreamy, and the headlights painted long strokes of gold across the two-lane road.
We passed the edge of town.
Then the turnoff for the lake as we passed the old market, where everyone went for cider in the fall.
My brow knit. “Alex . . . seriously. Where are we going?”
He grinned sideways, the kind of grin that sent warmth curling low in my stomach.
“You,” he said, “are just going to have to wait.”
I opened my mouth to protest.
But then he did something I absolutely did not expect.
He reached across the console and set his hand gently on my leg.
Not high. Not presumptuous. Just . . . warm. Real. Intentional.
My breath stuttered.
It was such a simple touch, his fingers resting against the soft fabric of my jeans, but it sent a flicker of heat through me so sharp, so surprising, I had to tighten my grip on my purse.
He kept his eyes on the road, casual as anything, but the corner of his mouth lifted like he knew exactly what he was doing.
“You okay?” he asked lightly.
I managed a nod. “Uh-huh.”
He chuckled under his breath. “You’re cute when you’re flustered.”
Before I could fully recover, his thumb pressed in the slightest, softest squeeze at the curve of my thigh.
Not enough to be bold. Just enough to say,I’m here. I want you. I see you.
A rush of warmth swept through me, dizzying, unexpected, embarrassingly intense. I couldn’t remember the last time a touch that simple made my whole body flare awake.
My pulse fluttered.
I forced myself to breathe. “That’s not fair,” I muttered.
“What isn’t?”
