She narrowed her eyes. “You said it was the kiss.”
He smiled down pleasantly. “I know what I said.”
Liana clasped her hands over her heart. “I’m just throwing this out there—winter weddings arelovely.”
Ari looked to Gideon for a sanity check, but he was looking at his wife as if she’d hung the damn moon. He shrugged. “Chanukah is extremely underrated as far as romance potential goes.”
“You’re all insane,” Ari declared, and they laughed, but as Judah squeezed her hand and Liana and Gideon moved on to greet the rest of their guests, she wasn’t…notpicturing it.
And it looked pretty damn good.
Chapter Thirty
“Yo, thanks for the ride,” Noah said to Judah as they pulled up in front of their building.
“It’s no big deal,” Danny broke in before Judah could open his mouth. “He was coming here anyway. Bow chicka bow wow.”
Ari rolled her eyes. “Shut up, Daniel, and get out of the car.”
“Aren’t you coming up?” Akiva asked.
Judah narrowed his eyes. “We’ll get the next elevator.”
Akiva shrugged and closed the door behind him, leaving Judah and Arielle alone in the car.
“Hey.” He twined his fingers into her hair and dropped a brief kiss on her lips. “Listen, I know it’s been a long night, so if you don’t want—”
“Judah. Do you want to come upstairs?”
“Very badly.”
“Then get the fuck upstairs.”
He laughed lowly and kissed her once more, just a light one on the forehead. “Guess this is the time to admit that I packed my tefillin and some clothes, on the off chance.”
“Our first real tefillin date!” She clapped her hands together in joy. “Now I know we’re serious.”
He sighed but grabbed his bag and exited the car, coming around to hold her door open. As he took her hand to help her out of the car in her heels and gown, it occurred to her that she didn’t have to let go.
She didn’t.
He didn’t either.
They took the elevator up in silence, sneaking glances at each other and grinning. It wasn’t until they were finally inside Ari’s apartment, bags tossed aside, that she spoke. “Help me out?” she asked, offering her back.
A moment later, she felt the warmth of Judah’s presence, his strong, sure fingers sweeping her hair over her shoulder and taking hold of her zipper, his breath cool on the nape of her neck as he tugged it down with agonizing slowness. She was so aware ofhim—his mouth on her neck, his fingertips on her skin—that she didn’t even realize he’d slid the dress off her arms until it landed in a puddle at her feet.
She stepped out of it, missing his body heat immediately, and was about tofinallyslip out of the shoes when he uttered, “If you leave the heels on, I promise I’ll make it worth your while.”
“Cruel,” she said with a groan, but she obliged, and was rewarded with a head-to-toe sweeping look that could melt glass.
He stepped up to her again, grazed her cheek, traced a thumb over her lips, and smiled when she took it between her teeth for a gentle bite. “God, look at you.” Twining his fingers with hers, he dragged her to the living room mirror. “Have you ever seen someone this stunning in your entire life?”
“I suppose it would be arrogant if I said no.”
His husky laughter was a warm breeze across the nape of her neck.
“Need more help?” he asked, sliding a finger along her bra strap.
