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Her hand was resting on the container. She lifted her other hand, catching one of her curls and spinning it around her forefinger. Her curls were an unholy temptation, dark and a little wild and untamed. I wanted to bury my hands in them and kiss her.
Apparently, my body was ahead of my brain. Because, in another second, I had reached over, catching the curl and letting it slide through my fingers. Her eyes widened slightly, and I heard a little hitch of her breath in her throat. As I looked down at her, I noticed the spray of freckles scattered on her cheeks.
Because I was all in on being reckless at this moment, the next thing I knew, I brushed my knuckles lightly across her cheek, murmuring, “I love your freckles.”
She looked up at me, her big silvery-gray eyes blinking. Desire curled around us like wisps of smoke, the very air humming with the vibration of our need.
“Jonah—” she began.
“Shh,” I murmured.
I wasn’t even sure if that was for her or me. My need to kiss her was trampling over any remaining sanity. I knew if I thought at all, I would stop myself.
Alice’s eyes searched mine as I waited. My only rational impulse was to give her just enough time to stop me, but she didn’t.
She placed her palm on my chest, startling me when she leaned forward and pressed a kiss at the base of my throat. My pulse leaped under the place where she touched me. Her lips were soft and warm and sent licks of fire chasing over my skin. She drew away slightly, peering up and offering, “It’s the perfect spot for a kiss.”
Her fingertip traced a circle around it before feathering along the edge of my collarbone. What little restraint I had snapped loose. I took another step and slid my arm around her waist, murmuring, “Now would be the time to tell me this is stupid.”
“Well, I hope kissing me isn’t stupid,” she teased as she leaned up, sliding her hand around the back of my neck and flexing into me.
Our lips met, and what started as a brushing touch, teasing and testing galloped out of my control rapidly. I hadn’t kissed a woman in years. Oh, I hadn’t been chaste all this time. But kissing was intimate, and intimacy was something to be avoided at all costs.
I supposed kissing was like riding a bicycle. Maybe it had been a while, but I slipped right into it. Alice arched up against me, her curves soft and warm. She let out this little gasp into my mouth, and my tongue swept out, laying claim to her mouth. She didn’t hesitate, not even for a second. Her tongue glided sensually against mine. Our kiss turned deep, searching, and wild just as there was a sharp knock on her kitchen door.
We broke apart, staring at each other, our breath heaving. I was startled by the depth of my response to her.
I gave my head a sharp shake, asking, “Are you expecting company?”
She looked a little dazed when she shook her head. She straightened her shoulders and stepped back. I instantly missed the feel of her softness, her warmth, and how very alive she felt in my arms.
She walked past me, opening the door. “Oh! Hi, Bea.”
“Alice, have you—” My grandmother’s eyes landed on me. “Well, there you are!” she exclaimed as she stepped into the kitchen.
Alice closed the door behind her, casting an amused glance at my grandmother and then me.
“Are you looking for me?” I asked.
“Of course, I’m looking for you. There are no lights on at your house, and you always leave your lights on.”
“I do?”
Gram shrugged, waving a hand airily. “You do. You’re weird about it.”
“What’s weird about leaving the lights on?” Alice interjected.
My grandmother shrugged. “I don’t know. I was just coming over to see if you happened to have seen Jonah. You have because he’s right here in your kitchen,” she pointed out.
Gram’s eyes narrowed as she looked back and forth between us, and I sensed that she picked up on the bonfire flickering between us. I hoped she didn’t get pushy.
“I was just bringing Alice some of your brownies,” I said quickly.
Gram beamed at me and then Alice. “Oh, you are such a good boy!” She stepped to my side, sliding her arm around my waist and squeezing tightly.
I hugged her closer, dropping a kiss on her cheek before she stepped away. “For you, yes. I thought maybe Alice would like some. I think you gave me a whole tray. You just wrapped it in foil, so it didn’t seem like so much,” I teased.
“Of course, I gave you a whole tray,” she clucked. “I’ll make them every week. Now that Alice is back, I’ll make extra,” Gram said, rubbing her hands together.
