Pansy hasn’t called out Nora’s name for a while now, so hopefully she’s in a car on her way back to Asheville. Or, better yet, the nearest airport.
“I’m glad you noticed,” Nora replies, a hint of teasing in her voice. “You kissed me back.”
“Of course I did.”
She searches me with her gaze and then lifts up on her toes,angling her head toward my ear, and whispers, “I think I’d like to take things too far tonight, Cormac.”
I look down, meeting her gaze, my dick suddenly uncomfortably hard. Because it seems like…
“Are you saying we’re not leaving Apple Ridge yet?”
“Follow me.”
Anywhere.
She pulls back, the front of her dress spattered with water, her lips a little slick with it. Then, giving me the kind of enigmatic smile tailor-made to drive a man insane, she takes a few backward steps before turning and striding down the road.
I don’t even hesitate.
I follow her.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
NORA
My heart is thrumming fast in my chest, and my blood feels hot. Everything is turned up to a ten, and then Cormac slides up beside me and takes my hand without asking, his fingers weaving between mine.
“What bad decision are we about to make?” he asks.
I sneak a look at him. “We’re going to eat an apple.”
“Original sin. Cool.”
I bump my shoulder into him, and to my surprise he wraps his long arm around me, as if this is something we’ve been doing for years.
I’d rather flay myself than admit it, but it feels nice.
I guide us toward Gallagher Park, the park at the edge of town with a few rows of apple trees. There are plenty of orchards clustered around Apple Ridge, but Gallagher Park is special. The apples are free, and the view is to die for.
It’s also five thousand fucking degrees out right now and the absolute wrong season for picking apples. No sane person would be in Gallagher Park. Hopefully, that means we can steal some time alone.
He glances at me as we reach the wrought iron filigree gates. “Are we going to get lost in the woods again?”
“No way. Why do you think you’re here? You’re my personal Magellan.”
His smile fills his whole face, and I lift up to kiss his cheek.
“What are we?—”
“We’re just having some fun. We’re not going to worry about anything right now,” I say, because I don’t have answers for him. I only know that I don’t want the night to end, and I’d like to kiss him again somewhere more private, where we’re less likely to get interrupted.
He swears under his breath, which makes me smile.
Flustering Cormac is a rare pleasure.
We walk through the gates together, and I lead him to the thicket of apple trees, frowning because none of the little globular apples look ripe enough to eat. While I knew it wasn’t the right month for them, I’d hoped one of the varieties would be ready early.
“We’re supposed to pick an apple.”
