“Certainly not.We’re not dating officially.And we’re not at the faire.It’s not against the rules.”
“I see.”Hope flickered in her chest at the same time a part of her squirmed at the suggestion.
It must have shown on her face.Because Hawk grabbed her hands and held them.“After the season, we’ll tell everyone.The faire will be done, and we won’t have to worry about it.But if you don’t want to do it, I won’t pressure you.We can wait until the season is over to start anything.”
“No.I…” She licked her lips.Her thoughts were a whirlwind of emotions, but more than anything was the fear that if they waited, it would be a missed opportunity.That the thing between her and Hawk would flicker out of existence before it even had a chance to thrive.
The end of the faire was only three weeks away.She could wait that long.And it didn’t mean they wouldn’t be together until then.If the hunger in Hawk’s eyes was any indicator, he couldn’t wait.
She nodded in agreement.With a soft smile, Hawk leaned forward and pressed their lips together.
It was like a switch flipped.All the moments between them, the soft allowances, the lingering stares, the moments where they walked to her car together.
He liked her.And even more jarring… she liked him back.
This was really happening.Hawk Carlisle was kissing her.
Their connection was both too short and endless; at some point, they both realized they needed to pull back for air.Lilian panted softly as she stared at Hawk.“That was… nice.”
“Just nice?”Hawk asked, smiling.
“No, more than nice.It was amazing.No one has ever kissed me like that before.”
“Like what?”He pressed forward, arms caging her on either side until she was leaning back against the couch’s soft cushions with him on top of her.
Like they can’t get enough of me.But that was almost too pathetic to say out loud.
Lilian gasped as something hard pressed against her hip.Him.Hawk was pressing down on her, and he washard.She couldn’t help but moan into his mouth at the sensation.In response, Hawk moved his hips, grinding against her in a delicious way.
“God, Lilian,” he breathed, “the things you do to me.”
“I didn’t know,” she whispered back.
His shoulders shook with a laugh.“How could you not know?”
“You're like a freaking statue!And every time you talked to me, I thought you were mad.”
“I was mad,” he mumbled, taking her lips again.
But Lilian pulled back.“I knew it!Why were you so grumpy?”
“You want to have this conversation now?”
No.She didn’t.She wanted to kiss his lovely mouth until her lips turned numb.She wanted to get Hawk into his bed and do way more than kissing.But if she was going to be doing anything with a man who had once been her sworn nemesis, she was at least owed an explanation.
As if reading her mind, he bent down and brushed his lips against her.It was a slow, lingering touch.The velvet-soft lips moving back and forth against her own.“I was furious about what you did to me.I’ve worked at the faire for years and never had a woman make me feel like this.”
Oh.She cupped his cheek, and he pulled back.Allowing her to take in the open honesty in his eyes.“I don’t know if I can fall asleep knowing you’re out here on the couch,” she admitted.
Hawk sat back, but he didn’t move.“I don’t know if I can sleep knowing you’re in my bed.”
God, did his voice get deeper?She swallowed, sitting up.She understood Hawk wanting to do this by the book, but this was torture.“Can we stay up a little while longer?Maybe we can watch some television?I’ll make sure to keep my hands to myself.”
He smiled.“Sure.”
They settled beside each other on the leather cushions.Hawk grabbed a nearby blanket and wrapped it around them both, with his arm pulling her close.She allowed herself to lean into him.The scent of his soap clung to his clothes, and she had to refrain from sniffing it.
“Oh sweet,The Lions’ Den,” she said, noticing the familiar panel of business CEOs.“You got me addicted to this, you know.”
