She gasped, meeting him kiss for kiss. “I don’t want to ruin our friendship.”
“Friends can kiss.”
“I’ve never kissed a friend like this before.” She ran her hands through his hair, and he sucked in air, feeling like he was drowning in joy.
“There’s a first time for everything.” He kissed below her ear, and she giggled. He made a mental note to come back to that spot and nuzzled her neck.
“I don’t want to regret this.”
He paused and pulled back, running his fingers down her cheek while pulling her body close. “Then don’t. We’re adults. We wanted to kiss. We can.”
“But… what will people say?”
He brushed the worry lines out of her forehead like he’d wanted to for weeks. The freedom to do so was intoxicating. “It’s none of their business. This is you and me.” He paused a moment, barely thinking it through but knowing she’d have one more concern because he shared it. “And we’ll be cool in front of the kids.”
“You mean you want to sneak around with me?” She arched one eyebrow and gave him a pouty—totally sexy look.
“Sneaky is my middle name.”
She ran her hand up his arm. “How did I not know that?”
“There’s all sorts of things you don’t know about me.”
“I’d like to learn.” Her eyes grew heavy with desire.
He didn’t respond with words. Instead, he splayed his hands over her back and drew her body flush with his. Kissing Wynn was the best feeling in the whole world. It was like finding out he could fly, and he never wanted to stop.
* * *
Nothinginside of Wynn told her to stop kissing Judd. Nothing. Surely there was a part of her that thought this was a bad idea, but if it existed, it didn’t speak up. His arms were strong, thick, and warm. As the night air grew chilly, she burrowed closer to him, deeper into his embrace. And he welcomed every inch she gave up between them.
Her body flushed with tingles and thrills in all the right places as he ran his hands up her sides and across her back. It was like he knew exactly what she needed, how to make her feel strong and beautiful while holding her like she was breakable.
Kissing him should have been strange—like kissing a brother or cousin. But it wasn’t. It was the opposite—like kissing her Hollywood crush, eating the best piece of chocolate, and dropping into a bubble bath all in one.
He smelled clean and manly and tasted like Butterbeer—a flavor she liked more than she should. Her desire to be with him continued to grow until she felt like it would consume her.
That was the moment she put her hand on his chest and pushed.
He leaned back, his eyes lazy with and his cheeks flushed from making out. Dang it all—he was a hottie. It wasn’t like she hadn’t noticed before, but she’d never let herself go all the way there with him, always keeping a bubble around the thoughts that could cause her to do something she’d regret. Who knew that when the bubble popped, it would be this good?
Holy cannoli, the man could kiss.
“It’s getting late.” She spoke to his chest, not sure she could bear to look him in the eye and see disappointment—or even worse, revulsion-—at what they’d just done. For her, it was beautiful. Hot and sultry, yet amazing and sweet with a hearty dash of innocent exploration. Like no other kiss before. Would any kiss ever compare?
The sky was dark, and the tent was dark. The sounds outside the flimsy plastic fabric were quiet, and the corn maze’s night lights glowed in the distance.
He hooked his finger under her chin and lifted her gaze to meet his. Her heart pounded hard against her ribs. When their eyes met, all she saw was Judd. Her best friend. Her confidant. The man who took care of her when she was sick and ran the kids to school when they missed the bus. “I propose—”
She went rigid in his arms. Proposals? What on earth did he think had happened just now?
“Relax.” He chuckled. She felt the sound against her palm and curled her fingers against his shirt. “I propose that we don’t freak out about this.”
She smacked his arm. “You could have picked a better way to say that.”
He laughed, and the tension that had coiled inside of her relaxed. “You’re the one freaking out. Your eyes are as big as the moon.”
“You’re not supposed to tease someone after you kiss them. Did your mother teach you nothing?”
