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By the time they reached her door, she knew she couldn’t invite Justin in, even for cookies. It was still too soon to switch men.
“Candy, I had a great time.”
“Me, too.” She summoned a smile, which he returned, holding her gaze a beat too long, which brought on the horribly awkward moment where they were both thinking about first kisses and whether one would or should happen tonight.
She hated that moment.
“Well, good night.” She stuck out her hand at the same time he bent forward, so she ended up jabbing him in the chest while his lips missed hers and landed on her nose.
Oh, God. Such a nice evening, then she’d gotten all morose and botched the kiss for him—though it was nice he’d wanted to give her one. Now he’d walk away and she’d go inside by herself and start brooding all over again, full circle to the mood she was in before he showed up.
“That didn’t work too well, Candy.” He was frowning, hands on his hips, not shivering, even though the temperature had dropped, probably into the upper teens. “First-date good-nights are even harder than parallel parking.”
Instead of saying something to help him diffuse the situation, she came out with a cross between an embarrassed laugh and unintelligible words, which made her sound like an alien under torture.
Help.
“I want to kiss you again.” He spoke with awe, as if he hadn’t expected to want to kiss her the first time, and really thought he shouldn’t be kissing her again, but he couldn’t help himself. The combination was very, very sexy.
A touch of spring started thawing the winter of her dis content.
“But hold still this time.” His eyes warmed with amuse-76
ment, his lips curved, lips that were firm, masculine and very tempting.
“I promise,” she whispered.
He leaned in, hesitated a millimeter from her mouth, which tingled in anticipation. She closed her eyes, past caring what Sexy Glamour Girl should do.
The kiss was soft and sweet, over too soon, but left its mark with a quicksilver trail down her chest to where really good kisses should go. She stood still, savoring, knowing she needed to open her eyes and say, “Well, thanks again for a great evening” and go inside.
But when her eyes had made it open and she’d gathered herself to step back, Justin made a deep, male sound halfway between a sigh and a growl and kissed her again. More than once. Serious kisses, deep and seductive, his solid arms holding her tightly.
Candy gave in and let instinct take over. It told her to kiss him back, slide her hands under his jacket to explore his back and shoulders, and to press her body against his, all of which felt unfamiliar with him, but pretty wonderful. Pretty damn wonderful.
Then an even more primal instinct started begging to be heard, one which involved inviting Justin in as planned. Only not for coffee. Or cookies.
Immediately, Candy started coming up with reasons why that wasn’t a good idea. The new upstart instinct just as immediately told her to stop being a chicken-hearted moron and do it.
Justin pulled back, rested his forehead against hers, breath unsteady. “Wow. I didn’t expect… Candy, that took me totally by surprise.”
She clung to him, fingers pressing into the hard muscles of his upper arms, heart pumping as if she’d been running sprints. “Me, too.”
“It was nice.” He chuckled wryly. “Nice. Like eternal bliss is ‘nice.’”
“Really
nice?”
“Really nice.” His eyes were so bright she half expected to find circles of light on her own face if she looked in a mirror.
She’d bet hers were doing the same. “Candy, I’d like to come in. For coffee or…something.”
So simple. One little word. Sure. Sexy Glamour Girl would do this without blinking. He’d come in, they’d have coffee, cookies, he’d kiss her again and they’d go upstairs and make hay until the sun shone.
So
simple.
Sure.
Candy opened her mouth. “No. I’m sorry.”
She felt as surprised, then disappointed as he looked. She simply couldn’t do it. No matter how passionately she’d kissed him, and no matter what he thought she was trying to convey, Candy wasn’t Sexy Glamour Girl. She couldn’t invite Justin into a house she’d been carnal in so many times, in so many rooms, with someone else she’d loved so deeply.
