Shepherd only had to bend a few inches to press his mouth to hers. He meant to be quick about it, a little peck between friends, but then she tilted her head and slotted her lips over his and the meaning of the word “peck” left his mind.
Everything, actually, left his mind.
The tip of Ginny’s tongue touched his lips. His brain stopped controlling his muscles, his lungs, until he was a twitching, breathless idiot, standing in the middle of his restaurant, letting his fake girlfriend stick her warm tongue inside his useless mouth.
Of course she was a good kisser. She was good at everything.
She tasted sweet like her soda, like cinnamon from her gum, like something addicting and worth losing every last bit of dignity for.
Ginny pulled away with a wet pop and a coy smile. He hadn’t even closed his eyes! For Christ’s sake. Shepherd shielded his eyes with the flat of his hand and refused to look at her or at his shrieking daughter, who ran to the bar screaming about a pool. And winning it.
Oh, double Christ. She’d been in on the bet with his employees? And she’d forced the kiss to win money?
“Lex,” he ground out.
But she didn’t hear him, too busy slamming down dollar bills on the bar’s counter like a bank teller or a strip-club manager.
Ginny laughed. The restaurant had settled down around them, going back to eating and drinking or whatever they were doing. Was it even a restaurant anymore? Because it felt like a zoo, and he was the captured animal.
“Not so bad, huh?” She was keeping her voice low for the sake of her mother, who was too busy whispering with Mr. Martin to care.
Shepherd pressed his hand against the small of her back and guided her further away from the table anyway, closer to the bathrooms. Lest his scolding be overheard by anyone ever. “You used tongue.”
“Yes.”
“Your tongue was in my mouth, Ginny.”
“I know,” she said. “I put it there. Did you not like it?”
His cheeks warmed. “Now, I didn’t say that.”
She smiled. “So you liked it? You liked my tongue in your mouth?”
“Ginny!” He took a deep breath. “That is not the point. You know I’d bang you if you let me.”
“Bang?” she repeated, her nose wrinkling. “Ew.”
“What? You can put your tongue in my mouth, but you don’t want me to enjoy it?”
Ginny narrowed her eyes. “That’s not what I meant. ‘Bang’ is just such a gross way of putting it.” Her features softened, and she smiled at him again, her full lips turned up at the corners, her blue eyes sparkling. “I’m glad that you enjoy kissing me, Shepherd. I liked it, too.”
He had indigestion and heartburn. It ached in his chest and fried his throat. Shepherd rubbed his collar bone. “This is for your mother’s sake, and the sake of my dirty car. OK? That’s it. So, please, just. No more tongue without warning. And not in front of my kid.”
“Oh.” An endearing blush spread across Ginny’s pretty face. “I forget sometimes about Lex, and how things with your ex are still rough. I’m sorry. I won’t make out with you again in front of your daughter without warning.”
The fact that she specified she wouldn’t make out with himwithout warning, and didn’t just say it wouldn’t ever happen again, made his heartburn worse. Damn middle age. He needed some Tums, stat.
Lex was back at the table, talking to Mr. Martin and Deandra. Not a good combination if they were to maintain the cover of being an actual couple. Shepherd walked towards the crisis, and he was halfway there before he realized he was holding Ginny’s hand.
He didn’t know if he reached for her, or if she reached for him, or if he should even care about it. Except he felt the loss of it when they sat down at their chairs, no longer touching.
“Ginny, karaoke time starts now!” Lex shouted. “I need you to be my backup.”
“Of course! What are we singing?”
“‘The Trooper.’ Iron Maiden.”
Shepherd glared at his only child. “No.”
