Page 35 of Heat Advisory

The ride back was filled with more catching up, and the conversation flowed easily like it had all those years ago while she tutored me or when we talked late at night on the couch after Morgan had fallen asleep. I was grateful for every red light prolonging the evening, even if for just a few moments.

By the time we pulled into her parking lot, I was running out of excuses to keep the night going, so I walked her to her door, planning to get another date on the calendar—hopefully tomorrow so I had something to look forward to.

I wanted to kiss her so badly. While we had kissed at the restaurant, I knew it was mostly for show, so I wasn’t sure if she’d be willing to do it again—because she wanted to and not because she felt obligated. So I decided to put the ball in her court.

“Kiss me,” I said, looking down at her as we stood by her door.

She paused, looking at me stoically, before a small smile crept up her face. “Okay, but I probably won’t like it.”

Challenge accepted.

The way my mouth took over hers, devouring her…It wasn’t gentle, but it wasn’t rough either. It was hungry and needy. When we finally pulled apart, breathless and with stupid grins on our faces, I knew she’d liked it more than she would ever admit.

I begrudgingly stepped away, knowing that if I didn’t stop now, I’d take this too far too quickly, and I wanted to do this right with her.

“Good night, Cora,” I told her, giving her a small smile.

“Good night, Jay,” she said as she turned to her door and unlocked it.

Just as she was about to enter, she paused and turned back to me. “Hey Jay, I don’t know anything about this Trent guy, but I know you’ll get the job,” she said confidently. “When you put your mind to something, you do it, and you do it well.”

Fuck, this woman was good for my ego, good to look at, and good for my soul.

I was thrilled that she’d agreed to come out with me again today after I had texted her on a whim this morning.

I still needed to pick up my suit for my sister’s wedding—and I was cutting it dangerously close—but I also had something special planned. Something just for her.

I told her I’d pick her up at two. That gave me two hours to run one last errand before I went to get her.

We stopped at the wedding shop first. I tried on my tux, quick and painless, but my mind was already on the rest of the day—the part I’d actually been looking forward to.

“Okay,” I said as we stepped back onto the sidewalk. “First surprise.”

She narrowed her eyes. “I don’t like the way you said that.”

I laughed. “Just trust me.”

I took her hand and led her two blocks down to Windmill Park. The second we turned the corner and she saw the book festival set up across the lawn, her whole face changed. Her eyes were wide, and a smile broke free and spread across her entire face, causing me to grin like an idiot.

She moved through the booths like she belonged there. She stopped at every romance and fantasy table, chatting with vendors and flipping through books, fully in her happy space.

I wasn’t a huge book guy. Give me a good mystery or thriller, and I was set, but watching her light up like that, I hadn’t stopped smiling in hours.

I held her hand the entire walk back to my car. Arriving at her door, I opened it but leaned down to give her a quick kiss.

I hadn’t planned it, but she just looked so damn cute with that smile stretched across her face, I needed to kiss that sweet mouth of hers again.

I would have liked to keep kissing her, but we had other plans for the day, and I had to keep going if I was going to get to the part I had been waiting for.

We didn’t say much after that—just climbed into the car, still buzzing, and drove to the diner down the street to grab a bite to eat.

When I pulled into the parking lot and shut off the engine, I reached over and gently caught her arm before she could open the door.

“One more thing,” I said, causing her to turn toward me curiously.

I handed her the ring I had picked out this morning. An oval-cut diamond with a white gold band to match all the other jewelry I’d noticed she wore.

For a second, she just stared at it like it might disappear if she blinked. “Jay…I…what?” She laughed nervously, shaking her head. “I don’t need a real ring. Certainly not this fancy. You could’ve just gotten something simple. Just until…you know…all of this is over.”