She laughed. “Do you want me to say it was because of you?”
“Well, I like a captive audience.”
“I’m sure.”
He leaned toward her. “I also like you.”
She gripped the countertop behind her to steady herself as she gazed up at him—the slight stubble on his cheeks, the locks of untidy blond hair falling in front of his face. He reached for her free hand and intertwined his fingers in hers. Then his lips curled into a sly smile.
“Close your eyes.”
“Why?” she murmured, his warm breath on her face.
He chuckled quietly. “You’ll have to close your eyes to find out.”
She hesitated before slowly doing as he asked. A moment, thenhis mouth met hers. The kiss was soft, then suddenly all-consuming, his lips and tongue tasting like the sugar and lemon from his drink. She didn’t expect herself to respond so quickly and was surprised when a moan escaped her lips. God, it felt good, and she let herself get lost in it, weaving her fingers into his hair, pulling him closer. He pressed his body against hers, his kisses becoming more urgent.
“Emma,” he breathed. It sounded almost desperate, and she suddenly realized it was the second time someone had said her name like that tonight. With Montgomery’s tongue in her mouth, her thoughts drifted to Knightley. What had he wanted to say to her earlier? He seemed so serious. In fact, he seemed serious the whole night until he had abruptly left. Was he home right now? Sitting all alone in his house? What if he was at his back window, what if he could see—
Montgomery nipped at her bottom lip.
“You’re so gorgeous,” he murmured. The sound was soft, but it seemed to echo loudly in the space.
Her eyes snapped open, flicking to the dark windows that faced the back garden. Someone could be watching them right now. Right from across the lawn.
She pulled back in an instant, removing every part of her body that touched Montgomery, even as his fingers found her hips, trying to keep her close.
“You okay?” he asked, breathing hard.
“Yes, fine. I’m fine,” she said, smoothing her hair and trying to avoid gazing at the doors a few feet away.
“Want to go to my place?” His lips floated over hers. “There’s no one home there.”
“Ah…” She wasn’t sure what to say. Did she want to go to his place? He planted kisses along her jaw and neck, making it hard for her to think clearly.
“Right there across the street…” he whispered, bringing his mouth up to the shell of her ear. “We’re neighbors now, remember?”
Her eyes widened. Oh God, she did not want to think about her neighbors right now.
As if on cue, the darkness beyond the window went from pitch-black to a familiar soft glow as the motion-detecting light in Knightley’s backyard flipped on. Had he come outside? Did he turn the light on? Or was a cock-blocking squirrel simply ruining the moment?
Montgomery must have felt how her body tensed, because he paused. “You sure you’re okay?” he asked again.
“Yeah, I… think I just drank too much tonight…” She sighed and rested a hand on his hard chest. “Rain check?”
He leaned in close and kissed her cheek. “Sure. We have a party to plan, right?”
“Right.”
“Good.” Then he took a step back, not hiding the fact that he was adjusting himself. “Come over early for it, too. I can’t wait to show my art collection to someone else who appreciates beautiful things.”
“Can’t wait.” She tilted her head to the side. “I’ll see you before then, though… to meet the DJ.”
“It’s a date.” Then he turned and left up the stairs.
Emma listened to the front door open and close behind him. She was still braced against the counter, her hands gripping the marble countertop. Why had she cut that short? Surely a porch lamp wasn’t enough to make her send an attractive man home, right?
After a long moment, she exhaled deeply. Whatever the reason, now she felt hot and edgy. She grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator and took a deep sip. It wasn’t like she wasn’t going to see Montgomery again. They were planning a party together. Andmaybe that was the perfect time to make it official. She could start the new year with a new boyfriend in his new house; it was the ideal scenario. She should be celebrating. So why the hell wasn’t she?
