Page 36 of Lucky Haven

“Oh,” I say into his mouth. And then, “Ah.”

He smiles as he moves his lips against mine. No tongue, not as rough as the kiss the night I was drunk, and not as performative as kiss in front of Jeb.

This one…the only way to describe it is friendly. If I kissed any of my friends, which I have not before today.

It’s….nice.

Calming. Happy.

I hear myself make a little humming sound and lean in to it. Cash’s hands slide around to the back of my neck, his fingers moving at exactly the right pace to light my nerves up like happy little fireworks are dancing across my skin.

“There you go,” he murmurs. “That feel better?”

“Mm-hmm.”

“Good.” He drops a peck at the corner of my mouth, and that’s so nice it makes my head spin.

A tiny little peck in exactly the right spot, and I’m a puddle of goo for him.

“Now we can get down to business.”

“Mmm?”

He chuckles and opens my notebook. “This has to be mutually beneficial,” he reads. “I think we’ve covered that it is. We need a compelling reason why. That’s easy. You’re hot. We have to plan the⁠—”

“Wait, what?” I grab his arm. The thick bulge of muscle under my hand goes hard. “No, that’s not a reason people will believe.”

“Did you not see the way Jasper Fucking Lane looked at you in the diner? Trust me. It is. And it takes every ounce of my willpower to not ask you if you two have a history.”

“That’s ridiculous.” I flush. “I told you I’m not experienced.”

“Doesn’t mean he couldn’t have tried to date you.”

“Well, he didn’t.” I’m all hot inside. “Nobody has.”

“Their fucking loss.”

“Cash!”

He closes the book again and takes my face in his hands.

“You can’t just kiss me every time I get flustered and argue with you!”

“I don’t see why not.” He covers my mouth with his, and when he kisses me like this…I also can’t see why it isn’t a reasonable plan. It obviously works.

I squirm closer to him, and this time, I’m the one who licks at the seam of his mouth, wanting to deepen the kiss.

And the big mean man says no.

“Easy now.” He takes a deep breath and shifts his long, thick legs, changing his position on the couch.

I grab the notebook. “That brings us to planning the breakup.”

“That’s why I wrote, everything is negotiable, including the end date.” Cash gives me a look that’s surprisingly serious. Almost stern. “One of the things that I like about your rules is that you centre both of us. This is a thing that we’re doing together, for multiple reasons. You need protection. I want to borrow your sweetness, wrap myself in that around my brother’s wedding, maybe soften my reputation.”

I shake my head. “I don’t help your reputation. People think the worst of me.”

“What, because someone called you a slut?”