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Gray took the hot chocolates from Chloe. “I won’t be around this weekend. Hopefully, I can join everyone soon.” Gray dropped a few dollars in the tip cup before they left.
Kiera had expected Gray to be gone before the weekend. Neither his lifestyle nor work tied him to the area. His comment about joining Trent, his wife, and her family soon, highlighted the fact that he didn’t plan to stay long now.
Gray started up the car and waited. “So where to now?”
“You pick this time”.
“Since I did promise to warm you up in case that hot chocolate didn’t, lets go to back to your place.”
Heat that had nothing to do with her hot chocolate spread through her as she considered how they’d spent their time at her apartment on his last visit and how they might spend it today.
During their trip into the city, Kiera had kept up a steady conversation. Now, she remained silent, sipping her hot chocolate and looking everywhere but at him. Gray didn’t know how to read that. The women he usually spent time with spoke just to hear their own voices. Did Kiera’s silence indicate something bothered her, or was she just content?
He’d thought she was happy to be with him today. Once or twice he glimpsed a frown, especially after he’d insisted he had no secrets. He’d been a little more abrupt then necessary when he answered her, so maybe that accounted for her reaction. But despite the frowns, she’d responded when he kissed her. If she wanted him to back off, Kiera wouldn’t have responded to him the way she had on the ice. At least, the Kiera he’d grown up with wouldn’t have. Judging by the time he’d spent with her so far, she hadn’t changed much.
On the way inside Kiera’s apartment building, they ran into the same woman who had let Gray inside on an earlier visit.
“Hi Joy. Heading out?”
“Ryan spent last night at his dad’s house. I’m going to pick him up.”
At first, he thought Kiera planned to end the conversation there and not introduce him, but then she nodded in his direction.
“Joy, this is Gray. He’s an old friend of mine.” Kiera turned toward him. “Joy and her son live upstairs.”
An old friend? He didn’t want her to see him as just an old friend. He thought his actions conveyed that message. Evidently he’d done a poor job so far. Even if he had done a lousy job of getting his true feeling across, did she think he kissed all women the way he’d kissed her?
He listened as Joy and Kiera spoke for a few minutes, then he followed Kiera upstairs.
The scent of rosemary and basil remained from earlier. “If you want, I’ll hang up your jacket.” Kiera stood near the closet, having already hung hers up.
Gray shrugged off his jacket and handed it to her. “I had fun today. If we get a chance before the rink closes, we should do it again.” He waited for a “sounds good” or an “okay.” Neither response came. Instead, she shrugged and slipped his jacket onto a hanger.
“Don’t let me forget to give you your glove.”
He waited until she closed the door before he put his arms around her waist. “If I forget it today, I’ll grab it the next time I’m here.”
That statement should give her some idea of his intentions on the off chance the kiss they shared earlier hadn’t.
“You were right; the hot chocolate with cinnamon was delicious. I hope it didn’t warm you up to much. I did promise to help you get rid of any chill.”
Kiera smiled, and Gray took that as a green light and lowered his mouth to hers.
As if they’d done it a thousand times before, she put her arms over his shoulders and leaned into him. He took her actions as a good sign, and while he wanted nothing more than to slip his tongue into her mouth and taste her, he held back, instead, taking his time to memorize the feel of her lips under his.
Slow and gradual. He could do that. At least, he managed to until Kiera slide her hands up his neck and into his hair and the tight leash he kept on his desire snapped. He changed the angle of his mouth over hers and tugged on her bottom lip until she opened for him. She tasted like chocolate.
A groan reached his ears when their tongues met. He wasn’t certain if it came from him or Kiera and honestly didn’t care. Without breaking contact, he leaned against the wall and pulled her tightly against him. The groan this time came from him. It escaped the moment her body pressed into his.
Kiera shifted against him, the movement causing his semi-aroused self to stiffen further. As if on their own, his hands traveled south to cup her ass. Since she gave no indication that he should move them, he took advantage of their position.
He slid them across her backside, learning every curve like he’d wanted to ever since she’d grabbed her ice skates before they’d left her apartment. She moaned as he continued his exploration, the sound giving him the encouragement he needed.
Satisfied he’d committed her ass to memory, he slid his hand under her shirt. Warm and silky skin greeted him. His fingertips traced a path up her spine and his lips found her collarbone. As he kissed her skin, he breathed in the scent of strawberries.
He should he let her take things from here. Let her set the pace.
Otherwise he might strip her naked right now.
