Page 42 of Until You

“I’m sorry,” she whispers and goes to step back but doesn’t fully commit to the movement.

The two of us are in that awkward state of being too close while I look down and she looks up to me.

I can feel the warmth of her breath on my lips again. Can see the widening of her eyes. Can feel the tightening of her hands on my flank.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to . . .” I don’t finish the words because I damn well meant to.

I want this kiss.

I want her.

Giggles erupt at my back. When the two of us jolt away from each other, I know exactly what I’ll find when I look behind us.

And I’m right.

Two matching faces, eyes wide and noses smashed into odd positions against the screen.

A creak has me looking back to see Tenny halfway down the steps. “Good night, Maddens,” Tenny says with a chuckle as she heads down the drive toward her house.

Every part of me wants to follow. Wants to finish what I think I’m trying to start.

Every part of me needs to find a damn babysitter.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Tennyson

I can’t focus.

On my newest manuscript in front of me.

On the documentary I tried to watch after that.

On the book I tried to pick up only to reread the starting paragraph ten times and still not remember what it said when I finished it.

I can’t focus on shit because there were two times tonight when all I thought about was kissing Crew Madden. Two times when I felt his breath on my lips and the heat of his body against mine. Two times where I had to remind myself that I don’t deserve a kiss from Crew Madden.

It was a lot easier to be restless when we lived in the city. There were things to do and places to go to ease your agitation. An empty Lombard Street to hike up and down when insomnia hit. A tough workout at the gym to work through my thoughts. A late-night diner to gorge on ridiculously bad-for-you food that I’d pay for the next day when teaching my students.

The anonymity was welcome. The diversity of options endless.

But here in Redemption Falls, the only distractions are empty trails through night-darkened woods or a drive into town where your visit will become town fodder.

Not exactly two attractive options right now.

“Tennyson?”

I jump at the sound of the voice and at Crew standing on the other side of my security screen door.

“Crew? Is everything okay?” The words come out in a whoosh of air as I move to the door, noting the clock on the wall reads well past midnight. When I pull open the screen, he’s standing there in the same clothes he had on earlier—swim trunks and T-shirt—hair a mess, jaw slightly unshaven, eyes intense. “The girls?”

“They’re asleep. Locked in the house. Note on the counter that I’m down here in case they wake up. Alarm set.”

“Oh. Okay. Then what . . .” My heart pounds in my chest, the cool night air doing nothing to abate the sudden warmth spreading through my body.

His smile is half-cocked and sexy as hell. “If we’re not going to lie to each other, then I figure I might as well say it.”

“Say what?”