He ran a hand up the side of her arm. She leaned into his palm and dropped her head against his chest, giving him her weight.
Gladly, he held her up.
The snow fell outside the window, snuggling the house in the muffled softness. Just like Kenzie did for him.
“Your family is really awesome.”
“I don’t want to talk about my family.” He let his breath play against the sensitive skin of her earlobe. “And you didn’t answer me in the car. Where should I put your bags?”
She relaxed further against him. “What are we doing?”
He found the hem of her sweater and let his fingertips trace the top of her jeans, around the side of her hip to her navel. “I think we’re having a vacation.”
She turned to him, wrapping her arms around his neck. “I don’t have sex with men just because they want me to.”
Immediately, he pulled back. “Kenzie”—he held his hands up in surrender—“I thought you wanted this, too. I didn’t mean…” He took another step back, giving her space. “I thought you were into this—”
Confusion laced her expression. “I am.”
“Then what’s with the declaration?”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “I like you, Tucker.”
“Okay.”
“And I think you’re one of the best men I’ve ever met.”
“Why do I feel a ‘but’ coming on?”
“No, that’s not it. I want to make it clear that I don’t just sleep with the guys Leah pairs me with. This is different. You’re different.”
“Because you like me.” It wasn’t a question.
“Well, yeah. I don’t usually like people. I mean, they’re fine. In general. I guess I’m saying, I feel safe with you.”
Better song lyrics he couldn’t have written. For the first time in months, his fingers itched for a pen. To write down what she’d said. Put it to music.
His heart beat loudly beneath his ribs. He took a step forward. “There are a lot of assholes in the world.”
“No kidding.” She flicked her hair over her shoulder.
“I’m not one of them. I don’t know exactly what’s brewing between us here, but it feels right. For the first time in a long time, it feels right,” he heard himself say the words, but his mind was in a separate place. The place he went when he was drafting a song. He hadn’t been there in forever. Where the hell was that pen? His guitar? Fuck, a keyboard would even work right now, and he was shit when it came to piano work.
Absently, his fingers echoed the beat of his heart as they tapped the rhythm of the song against his thigh. It pulsed through him, around him, seeming to fill the room even though he knew, logically, it was only in his head.
His muse had picked a pretty crappy time to show up.
Kenzie was ready for him, and all he could think about was writing down song lyrics and putting them to music.
Palms against his chest, she stepped into him, lifted up onto her toes and pressed her lips against his. He wrapped his arms around her waist, his hands finding the hem of her sweater again, lifting it to touch the smooth skin underneath.
Mouth open, Kenzie kissed him like he was everything. Right then, it felt like pretty damn much everything. Their lips moved against each other. Her hands gripped the material of his sweatshirt, while his ran up her back to the clasp of her bra.
“Your bed,” she said against his mouth, barely breaking the kiss to say the words before diving right back in.
Somehow, he managed to both lead the way to his bedroom and still keep his lips on hers. This was a talent he’d never known he possessed. Given the moans she made against his mouth, she was totally on board with the progression of events.
The door of his bedroom stood ajar. He kicked it further open with his heel.
