It was 3 o’clock, and we hadn’t even talked about lunch. So much for my brilliant alarm system. “How about we take a break and grab something to eat?”
His lower lip popped out, and he didn’t even look up. “In a bit. I wanna try a few other variations first.”
“We can do that tomorrow, sweetheart. For now, I was thinking maybe we could go out.” I took a step closer to him to fully capture his attention.
“Just you and me?” He looked up and then stepped back from the counter so he was closer to me.
Of course it was just us, it always had been. But he was asking about more than a meal. At least, that was my wishful thinking. “Yeah, that’s the idea.”
He took another step closer, his face only inches from mine. “Would that be like a date?”
I swallowed, unsure how he was gonna react to my answer. I hadn’t meant it to be a date when I asked, but now that it was on the table, I could hardly deny that was exactly what I wanted. “I’d like it to be.”
He leaned in to kiss me, just a brush over my lips, and then he pulled back far too soon. “I’d like it to be, too.”
9
ETHAN
I didn’t know where I mustered the courage to kiss him from, but when he said he wanted to go out on a date, just the two of us, I went for it.
It wasn’t a deep kiss. Heck, I’d kissed friends more intimately back in my college days. But still, it was a huge step for me. I could only cross my fingers and hope it was in the right direction.
We stood there watching each other as the kiss lingered between us. Neither of us moved as my heart pounded in my chest. My breath was still uneven, but I was doing this. I was taking that next step, and I didn’t feel any guilt about it.
There was no shadow cast over our moment, and I didn’t feel like I was betraying Rand. That was surprising and…new.
Over the past month of working with Kyle, I’d grown so much. I no longer stayed hidden away at home. It wasn’t just dealing with things for the shop, although that was the big catalyst, but I’d run out to get us lunch a couple times and even reached out to a few of my friends. I was in a much healthier place now andreally hoped it was healthy enough for whatever we were about to start. Because now that I’d had a taste of Kyle, I wanted more.
I wanted it all.
Kyle took a small step forward, and I nodded. I was okay with what happened. Better than okay. I might not have been able to form words, but I didn’t need them. His hand snaked around my head, pulling me in for another kiss.
Only this one was different. It lingered.
His lips moved carefully, as if he wanted me to know that I could step away at any time. I loved that about him. He gave me room to change my mind without making things awkward with a conversation that maybe neither of us were ready for.
I didn’t want to change my mind. I didn’t want to be careful. I wanted more, so I grabbed his shirt to make sure he didn’t leave.
His body froze for a second, but then he deepened the kiss. It was still gentle, without any hesitation or questioning. He wanted this as much as I did. The world fell away, and it was just Kyle and me, kissing with our bodies close. He licked the seam of my lips, and I opened to him.
Time passed, I didn’t know how much. I was lost in him.
Then he pulled back and leaned his forehead against mine. He was breathing hard, and my breath matched his. For a second, I thought he was gonna kiss me again, or maybe I wanted him to kiss me again and was projecting. But instead, he took a step back with his hands no longer on me and smiled. “Maybe…maybe we should get back to work.”
I couldn’t figure out what I did wrong.
I just stared at him, blanking on what was happening. He kissed me like that and then wanted to work? Disappointment filled me, and my stomach sank. Maybe the kiss was bad. Maybe he reacted in the moment, but once he thought it through, he no longer wanted this. I didn’t love that idea, but I respected it. As long as he didn’t walk away forever, I’d take whatever he was offering.
I told myself that going back to work was the smart thing to do and found something to keep myself busy despite wanting to be in his embrace, urging him to kiss me again and again.
We weren’t just friends working on a project. We had been, but now I wasn’t so sure. Only time would tell if I ruined it.
Our lunch plans were apparently forgotten. That was fine. There was plenty to do.
I went back to the tasks at hand, and as the rest of the day passed by, I realized how much I overthought the kiss. I’d been disappointed, worrying that he rejected me, but I worried for nothing.
Whenever I’d catch his eye, he’d smile brightly. And when I walked past him, his hand settled low on my back, guiding me. He was watching me like he was interested, so I wasn’t sure what had happened, but it wasn’t rejection.
