His mouth curved, confidence slipping easily into place. Of course he’d make this a competition, something to win, something to excel at.
“Absolutely,” he said. “Since we’re doing this, I plan on being very good at it.”
Another stretch of quiet passed. This one felt different. Loaded.
My hand brushed his again. This time, neither of us pulled away.
Ledger’s fingers hesitated for half a second, just long enough for me to notice, before they curled around mine.
My breath caught.
We’d held hands before. At my parents’ house. Out of necessity. Out of performance. Out of duty.
This was neither.
His grip was warm, comforting. Not tight. Not tentative. But like it belonged there.
And maybe that was the most dangerous part.
I didn’t say anything. Mainly because I didn’t trust my voice.
We walked like that for another block, the town around us fading into background noise. Every nerve in my body seemed to tune itself to the simple fact of his hand in mine.
Ledger slowed near the corner of our street, finally stopping under a streetlight that cast his face in soft gold.
He turned toward me, still holding my hand.
“You were different tonight,” he said quietly.
My heart thudded. “Different how?”
He shrugged, eyes searching mine. “Happier. Or maybe more yourself.”
I swallowed. “I was thinking the same about you.”
Something shifted between us. The air tightened. His gaze dropped. Not to the ground, but to my mouth.
I felt it like a pull.
Like gravity.
For a moment, neither of us moved. We stood there, close enough that I could feel the heat of him through his jacket, close enough that one step would erase the space completely.
Again, I wondered if he could hear my heart beating.
If he knew how badly I wanted him to close the distance.
Ledger’s thumb brushed across my knuckles, slow and deliberate.
“Roxie,” he murmured.
The sound of my name on his lips sent a shiver straight through me.
Yeshovered on my tongue—yes to whatever this was, whatever it could be—but fear rushed in just as fast. Of ruining things. Of wanting more than either of us was ready to give.
I shifted back a fraction of an inch …
And the moment broke.
