Page 20 of Hats off to Love

He says nothing, but the way his chest is rising and falling lets me know he’s breathing harder than normal.

“Stop hovering and leave me alone,” I mutter just loud enough so he can hear me.

He continues to stare at me, and then in a firm voice, he says, “No.”

“What do you mean no?” I throw my arms out. “This isn’t up for discussion.” I’ve already told him several times that I don’t want to play the role of his date tonight.

His hard gaze bores into me, and then he lets out a long sigh as he again tears his eyes away and aims them to look across one of the fields. It’s dark out here, and I watch as he blinks and his long lashes fan against his cheek. The two ever-present lines slip between his eyes as he shakes his head in anger. Anger at me? I don’t know, but I’m officially over it and him, and I have to fight to keep my body under control.

Exasperated and done waiting for a response, I storm away and walk back into the party.

“I need a drink,” I mutter to myself as I make my way toward the bar, which is on the opposite side. Then someone grabs my arm and spins me around.

Stokes. Again.

He’s officially driven me to the edge and I could scream, but Stokes has gone completely rigid, his hand is tightening more by the second, and he swears under his breath.

“Rosie.” His eyes lock onto mine, and there’s an unexpected desperation in them. “Just this one time, will you please play along?” he asks, his lips barely moving.

“What are you talking about?”

Just then, he steps forward, wraps his hands around my face, and moves his lips just a breath away from mine. I’m two seconds away from flapping my arms like a wild bird needing to flee when his forehead presses against mine, and he breathes out a “Please.”

Have I thought about what it would be like to kiss Stokes? Absolutely, only every day of my teenage years, but then I grew up and reality set in. That unrequited love I held for him, that slow-burning ember . . . it finally winked out, and I let it.

Seeing my hesitation and taking that as a yes, he tilts my head and settles his mouth on mine.

Oh. My. God.

What is happening?

My eyes are wide open and so are his, my brown to his hazel. He’s watching me, and I’m watching him, and I’m completely frozen.

“Kiss me back, Thorney,” he mumbles onto my lips, all commanding, and against every fiber of my being, I give in and do.

Without even having to think about it, my body knows exactly how to proceed. I rise up on my toes, and my arms wrap around his neck, one hand slipping into his hair as I lean into him. My eyes shut, and I revel in the feel of his soft, full lips hoping to become acquainted with mine.

He lets out a sigh, almost like it’s a long overdue sigh, and one of his hands drops from my face to my rib cage where he wraps his large palm around me and pulls me further into him. I can feel all five fingertips and the heat from his body as it warms mine. I’m also engulfed in his smell. He smells like melons, sage, and smooth leather. It’s exquisite, invoking a thousand memories from my lifetime at the farm, and

I don’t know if I can do this. It’s too much.

I try to pull away from him, but Stokes just tightens his grip to hold me in place.

“Stokes,” I whisper, and he shakes his head.

“No. Not yet.” He tilts my head just a little more and deepens the kiss in a way I never ever thought I’d be experiencing with him.

The world slips away, and I allow myself to be lost in the slowest most decadent kiss I’ve ever had. The way his tongue takes its time, licks against mine and the way his teeth graze both of my lips. The way I can feel parts of him pressing into my stomach I never imagined I’d feel and the way his large hand slides up a little higher and his thumb gently brushes the underside of my boob. Right now, no matter what has ever been said or done between us, it doesn’t matter. He is all in for this kiss, and apparently so am I.

A kiss with the enemy.

Well, maybe not a full-blown enemy, at least not anymore.

That’s when ice water trickles into my veins, dousing the flames that had wrapped around us in this heated and very hot moment, and I gasp.

Pulling back, I look up into his face, a face that’s so close to mine, and all I can think is, What have we done?

What have I done?