To think I’d cried enough tears over our breakup to fill the ocean was embarrassing. Heartbreak was heartbreak, though, even if I knew it was for the best.
Dallas didn’t give me the impression that he was that type of man.
I knew what a primal kink was. I’d heard about it. But after he’d walked me to the hotel, I scurried up to my room and started Googling everything about it forresearch.
Now I was wet,andcouldn’t focus.
I leaned back in my desk chair with a groan and rubbed my eyes. Another cup of coffee sounded like a terrible idea, but stretching my legs and exploring the hotel didn’t.
I’d find some inspiration eventually. I wasn’t sure how. Maybe I’d take a few hikes and try to soak up the natural beauty of the area, even though it was still hot outside.
I slipped on my shoes and headed down to the first floor, the wooden stairs creaking underfoot. The entire space was warm and cozy, filled with natural light that made all the bright colors pop. The closer I got to the restaurant, the more my mouth watered from the scents wafting from the kitchen too. This place was perfect.
I took it all in. Dallas had dropped me off and I’d been so flustered by standing next to a charming sexy man, I’d managed to skip over everything else around me.
But now, I didn’t have a hot man to distract me. Just a?—
Hot woman?
My eyes widened. Bright pink hair, two full sleeves of tattoos, the glint of silver in her ears. I recognized the woman walking toward me as the one from last Friday. She was just as beautiful now as she was then with the grace of a regal fairy.
Everything around me slowed as she walked past me. My muscles tensed, my breath hitching. It was ridiculous how I’d seen two gorgeous people in one morning?—
Her tennis shoes slipped on the floor and she gasped, falling back.
“Oh fuck.”
I lunged forward to catch her. My arms slipped beneath her body, slowing her fall as she landed hard against me, our heads knocking together. Something soft pressed against my lips and I had a split second to realize?—
I’d just kissed her.
Our eyes were wide. She breathed out, and before I could apologize, her lips brushed mine again.
The universe stopped for us. Our kiss deepened, her arms wrapped around my neck, my hands holding the curve of her back, keeping her from hitting the floor. All of the panicked thoughts in my head fell silent, the only sound the thumping of my heart.
We drew back, breathless.
A thousand freckles dotted her slender face and cute nose. Her cheeks nearly turned the color of her hair—a bright, vibrant pink that I wished I knew the hex code for so I could paint her.
“Hi, again. Th-thanks for catching me,” she stammered.
“Anytime,” I whispered.
Oh my god.
I was still holding her.
I was still staring at her.
I’d just kissed her.
She smelled like roses. The tattoos that wrapped up and down her arms drew my attention.I loved them.I didn’t know all my plants, but I knew enough to spot belladonna. Her grip on me tightened slightly as I helped her stand, holding onto her as she got her footing.
“I don’t usually go around falling,” she said.
“I don’t usually go around catching.” I cleared my throat. It was now my turn to blush. “Or kissing strangers.”
She swallowed hard, her breaths uneven.
