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He frowned.Homely?He debated whether to correctthatdescription, and decided to let it go…for now.
“You must think I'm selfish, complaining about her. I know I'm lucky to have her,andmy father.”
“That doesn't mean they can't drive you nuts. I miss my father, but I'd be the first one to say he could be difficult. He pushed me hard, especially after my mother died, and I resented him for it for a while. But looking back, I'm glad he did.” He shrugged. “Georgiana views her memories of him through rose-colored glasses. She forgets how tough he could be.”
Seeing her sad expression, he decided the conversation had gotten entirely too serious.
“Okay, enough of that. No more talk about parents. What would you like to do? We have a wide-open afternoon in front of us.”
“Well, since it’s raining…how about the aquarium?”
His eyebrows rose. “That’s what you want to do?”
“Only if you want to. I haven't been since I was in college.” She hesitated. “If you don't want to, it's fine. I can go another time. Would you rather do something else?”
“I would love to go to the aquarium with you. I can't remember the last time I was there.”
He paid the bill, and soon they were swiftly walking in the light drizzle to the parking garage, as Elizabeth wanted to retrieve her sweater before they made the short walk to the aquarium. They were both damp by the time they reached the car.
They climbed in, taking a break from the chilly June air for a moment, and Elizabeth shivered as she pulled on her sweater. “It certainly doesn’t feel like spring.”
He looked at her, and his heart skipped a beat. The dampness had persuaded a few curls to come loose from her ponytail, and her cheeks were pink from the chill. She was stunning.
“You could never ever in a million years be homely,” he blurted. “It's just not possible.”
Her face pinked further, and she opened her mouth to speak.
“Wait,” he interrupted. “I also want to say that you absolutelydohave a boyfriend. If–if you want one. If you want—”
Before he could finish, she leaned over the center console and pulled him toward her, kissing him softly. He kissed her back without hesitation and grasped her waist, pulling her as close as he could.
The kiss intensified and her hands stroked over his neck and shoulders and then lower, until she reached under his shirt, and he groaned softly when her cool fingers lightly traced over his stomach.
He broke away from her lips and moved to her neck, pulling her closer.This is heaven. The smell of her, the taste of her, thefeelof her, was more than enough to push him over the edge. He knew they couldn't get too carried away here, in his car of all places, but she was so responsive…Thank God for tinted windows.
His hands slid under her shirt, and when she gasped he kissed her again, drinking her in. His hands moved slowly, giving her time to stop him, but her only response was to alter the kiss, making it slower and more sensual.
His fingers encountered the silk and lace of her bra, and she sighed as he lightly traced the contours of her body. He broke the kiss and pulled back to look at her, both of them breathing heavily. She smiled tremulously and stroked his face, then kissed him again, and he was completely and utterly consumed. The car, the garage, the city noises, everything disappeared; there was only her. His hands stroked her breasts over her bra, his thumbs gliding back and forth over their peaks, and when she moaned quietly, he thrilled at the sound.
She began to pull away, pressing small kisses along his jaw. He understood what she was doing, and moved his hands down her sides until he was once again holding her waist and moving his thumbs in lazy circles there.
Her lips were red and her eyes a brilliant deep green, the color so intense he didn't trust himself to look at her anymore. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He wanted to say something, but didn't trust his voice. Thankfully, she spoke first.
“I don't know about you, but I'm not cold anymore.”
He chuckled softly. “Me either.”
He took a deep breath and fell silent, willing his body to calm and trying to think of anything but the woman next to him.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
“I'm fine. I've been wanting to do that since I picked you up.” He noticed her apprehensive expression and frowned. “Areyouokay?”
“Yes, it’s just… This is all happening so fast. I’m unbelievably attracted to you. And not just physically—it's everything about you. It's like you're this giant magnet, and I'm a tiny piece of scrap metal being pulled toward you. But I don't want to rush. I don't want to jump in over my head.”
He reached for her hands. “I feel the same way. This is all brand-new for me, and I feel…I feel out of sorts, I guess, but in a good way. And you’re right, it’s happening fast, but…I can’t stop thinking about you. Since last Saturday, you’ve consumed my thoughts.” He watched the expression on her face change from trepidation to surprise. “That being said, there’s no rush. We’ll go at your pace. I'm just enjoying every minute of us getting to know each other, and I want to see what it leads to.”
She nodded. “Me too.”
