"Being able to cook is a gift," he said.
"Yeah, just with maybe a different effect on people," she said.
He pulled back and tilted his head at her. "How so?"
"Oh, come on. When I impress people with my skills, all they do is groan and loosen their belt and tell me how stuffed they are."
"As opposed to…" he asked.
She made a face at him. "Your show was like the Beatles," she said.
"Not quite," he said with a laugh.
"It's still the same emotion," she said, looking him in the eyes. "You use your gift, and girls get giddy with butterflies. I use mine, and people get lethargic and uncomfortable." She smiled. "I'm just joking, but you get what I'm saying."
He paused and then responded, shaking his head. "I'm trying to, I really am, it's just that I was getting plenty of butterflies watching you cook. I felt that Beatles feeling from looking at you in that kitchen."
"You felt like a Beatles fan with butterflies when you were watching me make French toast?" she asked, looking doubtful and too adorable.
He smiled and nodded. "Yes, Audrey, I did."
"I think that's the best compliment anyone's ever given me."
He smiled and considered what to say next, but there was no need. She moved and placed her mouth on his. He was already touching her face, and she reached up and touched his before kissing him. Audrey was the one who drove the kiss. She let her lips touch his, what must've been ten times, gently pulling back and breaking contact after each one. She was an expert, and she absolutely drove him wild. Her mouth was tender and soft, and she licked her lips and kissed him again, causing him to ache with need and pull her closer. He held back, though. He let her lead the kiss, and within a minute, she pulled back. She took a deep breath and smiled at him.
"That felt like a better way to say goodnight."
He leaned back, wiping his face and feeling like he never wanted to say goodbye to this woman. "Yes, it did. Thank you, Audrey. Can I please see you tomorrow?"
"I thought you were," she said. "I'll have Lu," she added, reminding him.
"I know you'll have Lu. She does live here."
Audrey smiled again. "Yes, she does."
"So, I'll see you and Bella Luna tomorrow," he said. His arm was resting on the console, and she touched it lightly.
"Yes. And goodnight," she said. "Thanks for tonight, Ash. I had fun."
Her hand on his arm created heat, and his heart was about to beat out of his chest. Ash took her hand and used it to pull her closer. He kissed her again. He didn't kiss her deeply, but he did it more than once. It was more like a dozen times. They gave each other a ton of light, soft pecks, and between some of them, they smiled at each other. And then the kisses started to soften even more. They started to linger even more, each one lasting longer than the one before it.
Finally, Audrey pulled back with a reluctant little moan. "Um, Ash, okay. I guess we should say goodbye."
"Yeah," he said. "Can I walk you to your door—or your window?"
"No, I'm… I guess I'll see you tomorrow, if you come to… actually, you can walk me back, if you don't mind."
"I definitely don't mind," he said, turning off his truck the instant she said that.
They both got out on their respective sides of the truck, and he went around the front of it to meet her on the sidewalk. He held her hand, but he was fairly certain that she was reaching for his at the same time. Either way, their hands were intertwined the whole way up the street and into her backyard. He wanted to come back to this house and use the front door. He wanted to hang out with Luna. He didn't say any of that. He just followed Audrey to her window.
She climbed onto the air conditioner unit. "Oh, you have to get on that?" he said, regarding her with a look of concern.
"It's fine," she said, balancing on the edge of it and reaching out to open her window with a quiet groan. "I could just use my front door, but I guess I'm committed at this point."
She climbed inside and then turned to stare at Ash. He was tall enough for his face to reach the bottom of her window. He stretched toward her, and she leaned down and kissed his cheek.
"Thank you for walking me over here," she said, smiling at him.
