“Well, that’s good,” she said, “because I realized when I got back this evening that I have no groceries, and I rely on good coffee in the morning.”
I felt almost goofy, but all I could do was smile. Because whenever I saw Adele, I just wanted to smile. I had to clear my throat again and stuffed my hands in my pockets. I was uncharacteristically nervous around her.
“So, uh, how was card night?”
Adele beamed. That was probably the first time I’d seen her smile like that. It cracked right across her face like the sun bursting over the horizon on a cold winter morning, when you really wanted that kind of light and warmth.
“I loved it.”
“Nice,” I said, feeling my own smile stretch in response. “That’s awesome.”
“It really is. I like it here.”
“Well, I might be biased, but this area is pretty awesome.”
She bit her lip, one hand lifting to spin a loose lock of hair around her finger. “It is.” She blinked up at me. “So, about what you said earlier…”
I cleared my throat again, trying to remember what the hell I’d said earlier.
“Oh. That.”I want to kiss you.
Why the hell had I said that? I knew I meant it, but I didn’t go around saying things like that. Ever.
“I…I want to kiss you too.”
I didn’t know what I expected Adele to say—seeing as nothing that happened with Adele fell in the category of expected—but it wasn’t that. My mouth dropped open as she looked back at me, her cheeks flushing a little pink.
“I mean,” she rushed to clarify, “you don’t have to kiss me right now. But if you want to kiss me right now…”
“I want to kiss you,” I said flatly. “All the time.” We were firmly in the category of unexpected here.
The flush on her cheeks deepened, and I finally felt like I was getting my footing underneath me. Maybe just a little bit. Because I could tell this surprised her. For reasons I didn’t care to contemplate, proving to her just how fucking sexy she was mattered more to me than I could’ve said.
I didn’t want her to look doubtful. To look worried. To be surprised that anybody could want her and want to kiss her so much that it was a physical ache inside of every cell.
I didn’t know who put that uncertainty into her thoughts, but I wanted to make them pay dearly and regret it for the rest of their life. Maybe it wasn’t even a person. Maybe it was just the world. Because the world was kind of an asshole to women, generally speaking.
“All the time, Adele. I’m not crazy. I’m not going to just kiss you at the kitchen table or in the coffee shop or anytime I see you anywhere. But if you’re wondering if I want to? That is a yes every time. Ten out of ten times. Every time I see you, I want to kiss you.”
Her mouth dropped open. “Really?” she breathed.
“Absolutely. So, about that…”
Somehow, my hands came out of my pockets. I reached for one of hers, catching it in mine. “The question is—do you want me to kiss you?”
“I just said I did.” She blinked, biting her bottom lip. The sight of her pretty white teeth denting the plump surface? Sweet fucking hell. My knees nearly gave out.
“Well, to be more specific, do you want me to kiss you right now?”
She blinked up at me before she said softly, “Yes, please.”
“All you had to do was ask.”
Chapter Sixteen
COLE
Muscle memory
