No doubt. And though they’d both grown up without a mom, Shelby had at least had a steady, loving father while Gray’s dad’s poor choices had landed him in prison.
Childhoods could vary drastically, from idyllic to uneventful to downright traumatic. The playing fields were unlevel, leaving some children so disadvantaged. Including Gray. The thought planted a dull ache in her chest. “I’m sorry for all you’ve been through.” She set a hand over his. She’d meant it as a gesture of comfort. But the instant their bodies connected, it turned to something else.
Their gazes locked in the dimness of the car. She couldn’t make out much. His eyes gleamed in the darkness. Moonlight skated over his cheekbones, nose, and lips.
He turned his hand over and their fingers wove together, the sensual slide connecting them on levels way beyond the physical realm. She couldn’t have let go if she tried. Couldn’t tear her eyes from his. Couldn’t breathe. Somehow they were so close the warmth of his breath whispered across her lips.
“I thought about you while I was reading the book.”
His words sent a shiver up her spine. “What were you thinking?”
His gaze fell to her mouth and lingered there. “I probably shouldn’t say.”
Her lips tingled. She wet them. “I thought we were being real.” Who was this bold creature who’d taken over her tongue? Whoever she was, Shelby wanted the answer—and she hoped he’d show rather than tell her.
He leaned in by inches. She watched mesmerized as the fringe of his lashes fell. Their breaths mingled in the space between them, set to the frantic rhythm of her heartbeat. Then their lips met in a soft, sweetbrush. Just one touch made her heart stutter. Squeezed the oxygen from her lungs. Made her want to climb inside him.
And yet, one touch was not nearly enough. She returned the kiss. Their lips moved in a dance that seemed brand-new, as if the two of them had just discovered kissing. She set her hand against the warmth of his neck. His pulse thrummed against her palm.
You make Gray Briggs’s heart race.She was heady with the impossible thought.
He cupped her face, angled his head, took control. His touch anchored her in the here and now. Everything else ceased to exist as she yielded to his mastery. Because, yes, Gray was a master at kissing.
A boy didn’t reach this level of expertise without plenty of experience. She swatted the thought away, wanting to recapture the oblivion of complete surrender. But the notion nagged like a pesky fly swarming her dinner plate.
Darcy Colbert.
He’d just been with her tonight. Had he kissed her too? And Shelby was also in a relationship. Though thoughts of breaking up with Brendan had been swirling for days, she hadn’t yet done so. And here she was making out in her car with another boy.
Not just any boy—Gray Briggs. She’d never even known him to be in a committed relationship. What was she doing?
The reality check was unwelcome but persistent. It ushered in awareness of the outside world. The rain pummeling the roof. The console digging into her ribs. The guilt worming a hole in her gut.
She pressed a hand against his chest. Instantly there was space between them. Ragged breaths. Questioning eyes.
Oh, those half-lidded eyes could suck her right back under if she gave it half a second. “This is a mistake,” she all but blurted.
He put another few inches between them, still palming her face.
“I—I’m dating someone. And so are you.”
He pinned her with an unswerving look. “She’s not my girlfriend, and that was no mistake. You know it wasn’t.” His thumb swept a path along the curve of her cheek. Their gazes tangled, his eyes smoldering. “Tell him you’re with me now.”
Her heart clenched at his words. No one had ever said anything like that to her. No one had ever looked at her this way. As if she was everything he’d ever wanted. “Is that what you want?”
“Yes.”
Hewas everything she’d ever wanted. It wasn’t knowledge gleaned from information or research or even time spent together. It was aknowingrooted deep within her soul. A connection she’d never shared with another person. And there was only one thing she could say in response.
“All right.”
Chapter 17
Present day
“What in the world is this?” Between pinched fingers, Shelby held up a... raccoon hat?Ick.She dropped it into the trash pile and wiped her hands down the length of her shorts.
“Gram sure collected some odd things.” Liddy held up an abstract painting of a face melting into a table. “Please tell me Caleb didn’t create this abomination.”
