“Have I told you that you look breathtaking tonight?” he said softly into my ear.
“I believe you used the term gorgeous, but yes, you have. Think of another pick-up line.” I arched my back to look up at him. His eyes were hooded as he was studying me, sending my stomach into flips already.
Flips I promptly ignored because we were just friends.
I’ve ignored them before…I can ignore them again.
“That wasn’t a pickup line, simply stating a fact.”
“Well.” I swallowed. “Thank you. You don’t look half bad yourself.”
“It’s the hat, isn’t it?” He grinned. “Cash wouldn’t let me wear my ball cap.”
“Good. I would have protested and burned the ball cap if you had worn it. Even Stetson is wearing a cowboy hat. You had to match them,” I joked, happy that the serious tone that was there less than five seconds ago had already seemed to lift.
“You wouldn’t burn my hat.”
“Oh, yes, I would.”
“I’d make you buy me a new one.”
“A new cowboy hat, you mean.”
He raised a single eyebrow, his smile spreading from ear to ear.
I cleared my throat. “You do look handsome tonight, Wyatt.”
“Thank you,” he said softly, his hands sliding from the small of my back up my spine.
He stopped swaying.
I stopped swaying.
His eyes darted as he looked at me, his lips parting slightly, his breath becoming uneven.
My breath became just as uneven, just as ragged as I inhaled sharply, filling my lungs with the courage to…stop.
“I…” I stumbled. “I need you to stop looking at me like that.”
“Like what?” he asked, his voice just as unsteady as mine.
“Like you want to kiss me.”
We’ve had this conversation before. I knew we had. And by the low grin on his face, he remembered it too.
“I’ve already told you I do. You know you’re the only one I want to kiss.”
I slid my hands down to his chest, feeling the way his lean muscles sculpted even under his layers of clothing, and I shivered. If I gave in to this right now and let him kiss me—I could feel him. I could take him in and relish in the idea that he wanted me…
But that would risk…
Him.
I pushed myself away and, for the millionth time, swallowed the pit that was settled in my throat.
“Wyatt…I…” I met his gaze. “We’re friends. I…”
“Quinn,” he sighed. “Please, just hear me out.”
