My breath catches.
No way.
“You…” My voice comes out rough. “You bought it.”
Shepherd tracks my movements across the kitchen to the window where I run my finger over the sparkling treasure, my thumb hovering over the exquisite glass wings. And then he shrugs like this is the most normal thing in the world.
“I went back the next day.”
I stare at the swan again.
“Why?” I ask quietly.
A hundred possible reasons flash through my mind.
Because he felt guilty that he knocked it over.
Because his mother likes swans.
Because he thought it was funny.
“It made me think of you,” he says simply.
My throat tightens as I turn to look at him.“It made me think of you.”Of course, he says it like that. No drama. No flirting. Just…truth.
“I…I don’t know what to say.”
“You kissed me that day,” he says gently. A shy smile playing across his lips. “And I know you said it didn’t mean anything, but it meant something to me.” He pushes his hands into his pockets and leans against the island. “I wanted to remember that day. That moment. So, I went back for it.”
I shake my head, my brows furrowed. “Mari didn’t tell?—”
“I asked Mari not to tell you.”
“Why?”
“Because I told you, Sutton. You don’t owe me anything,” he says. “I like you. Maybe more than I should because I know how guarded you are. I see it on your face when you look at me and I feel it when I’m with you, which is why everything that happens between you and me has always been and will continue to be on your terms.” He lifts his shoulder in a slight shrug as he gestures to the glass swan on the windowsill. “I just wanted something that reminded me of you. It makes me smile when I see it. That’s all.”
“But it’s just…” I whisper. “A stupid little swan.”
He watches me like this entire moment isn’t quietly dismantling all my emotional defenses.
“Well, I like stupid things that matter,” he adds.
A laugh escapes me before I can stop it. Or maybe it’s a sob. It’s hard to tell at this point, but something breaks loose inside my chest. A feeling I’ve been holding back for too long. Before I can overthink it, I’m crossing the kitchen in several quick steps, my hands reaching for Shepherd’s face. I cup his jaw with my good hand, my thumb tracing the stubble there. His breathcatches, but he doesn’t move, letting me set the pace just like he promised.
“Brace yourself, Haynes, because this is going to mean something.”
And with that, I rise onto my tiptoes and press my lips to his. This isn’t like the impulsive kiss outside the thrift store though.
This is deliberate.
This is me choosing him.
Choosing this moment.
His lips are warm and soft against mine, and he responds with such gentle restraint that it makes my heart ache. My good hand slides to the back of his neck, my fingers threading through his hair as I pull him closer. For a heartbeat, he seems surprised, but then his hands find my waist, steadying me without taking control. I part my lips and he responds immediately, his tongue sliding against mine in a way that sends heat rushing through my entire body.
I make a small sound in the back of my throat, something between a sigh and a moan, and his fingers tighten slightly at my waist. The pressure sends shivers down my spine, awakening parts of me I thought I’d locked away, and then his strong hands slide down my hips to my upper thighs, and he lifts me effortlessly. My stomach swoops with the sudden movement, and before I can process it, he’s setting me on the cool surface of the kitchen island. The marble chills the backs of my legs through my jeans, a stark contrast to the heat radiating between us.
