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“It is.” So far, I was only just keeping my amusement in. Piper wasn’t doing quite so well.
“I really should have brought my own.”
“You should have.”
“Although, some guys would offer theirs to a lady in need.”
“Some would, true.”
“But they’d be considered pussies.”
Only because we weren’t allowed to talk about our feelings. “They would.”
“Or, even worse, gentlemen.”
“The horror.”
“Some girls might just nick yours.”
“They wouldn’t dare,” I gasped. “My niece forced this on me at toy-gun point!” Well, she had been holding one at the time.
Piper laughed and her hand swiped up. Surprisingly, she managed to grab the beanie off my head. Both of us looked at it for a second, then I felt something come over me. We looked at each other and I think she saw what I was thinking the moment I thought it. As I took a step forward, she grinned and took a step back.
Then I was chasing her across the shore.
“You bring that back, Barlow!” I laughed.
“I will not!” she chuckled.
“Damn. You’re faster than I expected.”
I went to catch her as she changed direction, but she evaded me incredibly nimbly.
“Or are you just slow, Lombardi?” she sassed.
Yeah, all right. It was on now. “I’ll give you slow! Come back here!”
“No!”
Eventually, I caught her and wrapped my arm around her. We were both panting from exertion, and the laughing wasn’t helping. Her face tipped up to mine and our laughter slowed until she was just looking up at me with a gentle smile.
Ugh. She was warm and smelled so good. The look in her eyes tugged at something in me. It demanded something from me that I was all too ready to offer without question. Even without knowing what it was. I couldn’t resist her anymore. I didn’t want to resist her anymore. And I was sure she felt the same. But still neither of us moved. I didn’t know what was holding us back anymore, because it certainly wasn’t my self-control.
“Piper…” I said slowly.
Just as I was sure I was about to move forward and close the gap between us, she held up the beanie like she knew we needed the physical barrier. Her eyes flitted between mine and I knew it was time to take a step back. Maybe she did want to kiss me, but she wasn’t going to, and I was going to accept that.
“I believe you were looking for this,” she said breathlessly.
I took it and pulled it on her head, down so far it went over her eyes. When she pushed it up, I saw she was smiling. And she was still leaning against me.
“I thought you were cold?” she asked.
I pulled my hood up and wrapped my other arm around her. “I’m being a gentleman, don’t ruin it.” I said as sternly as I could manage with her smile threatening to make me laugh.
We stood there, our arms around each other, for an age. My hand dropped down her back slightly and she squeezed me slightly. My nose went to her ear again as I squeezed her, too. It was…nice. Scarily nice. Like we belonged.
But we didn’t belong.
