Seconds later, the door opened and Juke was standing there. He smiled. “Hey.”
I’d gassed myself up the entire ride over, intent on apologizing for my dramatic overreaction in the sunroom. But now that he was in front of me, looking so fine in dark jeans and a long sleeved shirt rolled up at the sleeves, I couldn’t seem to get my thoughts together.
He frowned. “Are you okay?”
I shook myself out of my thoughts. “I’m fine,” I croaked finally. “Can I come in?”
Holding the door open, he gestured inside. “Come on.”
“Thanks.” I brushed past him and hurried toward the bar. Taking a seat on my favorite stool, I waited for him to join me.
He pulled out the chair next to mine and sat down. “How are you feeling?”
I shrugged my coat off and set it and my purse atop the bar. “Much better.”
“Want something to eat? I just ordered breakfast from the Bees Knees.” He glanced at his watch. “Should be here any minute.”
“No, thanks. I have to leave soon. My mother is expecting me this afternoon.”
“Oh, right. You’re going to Indiana.”
I sighed. “I wanted to stop by before I left. To thank you again for everything.” I swallowed hard. “And to apologize.”
With narrowed eyes, he asked, “Why would you apologize?”
“For acting deranged.”
He chuckled, low and sexy-as-hell. The sound went straight to my pussy, like he was stroking my clit with his fingers or his tongue. Squeezing my legs together, I flattened a hand over my chest as a delicious shiver worked its way through my body.
“Ronnie?”
“Yes,” I whispered.
“No need to apologize.” He pulled my stool closer to him, so close our knees were touching. “But I’m glad you stopped by. I wanted to talk to you, too. About what happened.”
“Before the swollen face or after?”
He searched my eyes. “Both.”
Nodding, I told him, “Yesterday was the longest day ever. It felt like a whole week.”
“Tell me about it,” he agreed. “I wanted to explain myself, though.”
Intrigued, I leaned forward. “Okay.”
“I need to apologize to you, for leaving you hanging after the countdown. I never intended to give you that forehead kiss.”
“Why did you?”
His shoulders fell. “Laura and I have… a weird and complicated history. And I knew that I had to put a period at the end of that long relationship before I kissed you, before I did anything with you. Because I don’t want anything to come between us and what I see happening with us.”
Slowly, I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. “What doyousee happening with us?”
“More than a New Year’s kiss.”
I smiled. “Do tell.”
“I can talk to you about anything, but I can also be quiet with you.”
