“Not a one. The second you’re inside, I’m making sure she’s where she’s supposed to be.”
Maybe she shouldn’t laugh at that, but he just…cared so much. She wondered how her teenage years might have been different if anyone had cared about her even half as much.
She shook her head. No use going down that depressing road.
“I had a really nice time, Gard.”
“Me too.”
She hesitated for a second. She should get out of the truck, but wasn’t he going to kiss her good-night? And at least—
His mouth touched hers before she could finish the thought. She sighed into the kiss. It was an awkward angle, leaning over the center console, but his lips made her forget about that. His fingers brushed down her neck and she shivered in response.
When he pulled back, she blinked up at him. That moment held for a second or two, making her sluggish heart pound hard against her ribs. Because it was a serious look, a serious moment, a heavy, kind of scary thing fluttering there in her chest.
He smiled at her, but his jaw was tight. “Night, Lia.”
Kind of like a dismissal. Which was…a little weird, but maybe she was just misreading a sign or something.
“Night,” she offered, not sure why she felt…off-kilter all of a sudden. She slid out of the truck and into the cold night. She huddled into her jacket and felt oddly…emotional.
The date had been great. The kiss had been great. The moment after… Well, certainly he’d felt it too. So maybe it had puthimoff-kilter. Maybe he wasn’t looking for something that…deep.
Because he’d just said good-night. He hadn’t mentioned doing it again.
OhGod, had she made some kind of fool at herself, but she was so bad at this she didn’t even know it?
Halfway up her walk, she heard the engine cut out and the door slam shut. Then Gard’s voice saying her name.
She turned back to face him. He was moving toward her, something like…intent written across his features.
Her heart leapt, her stomach clenched.Uh oh.
She didn’t want to have to explain to him she wasn’t quite ready for that step, but she was very afraid her body wouldn’tlether explain it. Because when he got close, reached out, and pulled her to him, she just…let him.
He was so tall and broad, it was like being enveloped by a blanket straight out of the dryer. An immediate shock of heat against the cold night. Especially when his mouth dropped to hers—demanding and needy all at the same time.
She just…melted into it all. Forgetting everything else except the hard press of his body against hers. Her skin was vibrating again.Everythinginside of her was vibrating.
He eased away, but his breath was as unsteady as hers. He looked at her like he was searching her face for something, but he didn’t know what. “What do you do when the bakery is closed on Monday?” he asked.
Which was a…really weird segue she didn’t fully understand, but she answered anyway. “If I have admin stuff I’m behind on, I do that. Or sometimes I just take the day off and relax.”
“I don’t work Mondays, and Sammy’s got school. Why don’t we go to lunch?”
“O-okay.”
“Pick you up at noon?”
She nodded.
He released her and cold air rushed in between them. A reminder she…she had a lot of work to do before whatever came after a kiss likethatwas going to be acceptable.
“Good night, Gard,” she said softly, stepping away from him.
“Night, Lia,” he replied. He also took a step back, then moved for his truck. He got in, but he didn’t drive away—and she knew he wouldn’t until she was safely inside.
Where he could be too, if you invited him.
