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His tone was clipped, and I knew not to push him. Silence fell between us. Shiloh trotted up with a dirty ball and dropped it in Sid’s lap. I sputtered out a laugh when he pulled his hand away, disgusted. He chuckled and tossed it out into the yard. She took off after it in a blur.
“I think that’s all we needed to get straight,” he said.
“What do we do…what about…” I wasn’t sure how to ask Sid about intimacy. Not behind closed doors, but in front of people. We were supposed to look like we were in love.
“What?” he asked.
I rubbed my thumb on the rim of my mug and peered into the dark liquid as if the answer might surface from its depths.
“What do we do about kissing or touching in public?”
Sid sat back and ran a hand through his hair. “Good question. I guess we can’t get away with not touching since we’re supposed to be in love.”
I nodded.
“Holding hands would be fine. Kisses on the cheek and forehead like I did at Frank’s would be okay.”
“But no kissing on the lips?” I asked, making sure I understood him.
He scratched his beard. This subject really rattled him, which I found amusing. I was totally fine with PDA, even if I didn’t know the guy well. It was just another way to get to know someone. If they were a terrible kisser, then there would be no point in going further. Callous, I knew, but I never claimed to be a saint.
“I don’t think we need to,” he said. His phone rang, and he fished it out of his pocket. “I need to take this.”
As soon as he went inside, I let out a sigh. I had so many other questions. Were we supposed to go on dates so people saw us together in public? Did we really have to plan a wedding? How far were we going to take this? What were we doing about a ring?
Sid walked back outside and ran a hand over the back of his head. He frowned at his phone. “There’s a work emergency, and I need to go.”
“Oh, okay. I can get my things.”
“Actually, I’m not sure how long this is going to take. Would you be willing to take Shiloh to your sister’s?”
“I can stay with her or take her to my house. How long will you be gone?” I asked.
“I don’t know.”
“No problem. Does she have enough food, and if not, what kind does she eat? I can always pick her up some more.”
One of his brows lifted. “Really?”
I huffed. “Yes, really. I’m perfectly capable of caring for your dog.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
I stood. “Then what did you mean? Because this isn’t the first time something I’ve said has surprised you.”
He kicked the ground. “It’s not that I don’t think you’re capable. It’s that…” He huffed. “You don’t seem like you’d like getting dog hair on your clothes or in your house.”
I put my hands on my hips. “Well, Sidney Lewis, it seems there’s a lot you need to learn about your fiancée.”
The sound of crickets grew louder as silence fell between us. My chest rose and fell with irritation as I stared him down.
He tilted his head, studying me.
My irritation dimmed as I gazed into his eyes. The air whipped around, blowing our hair in different directions, but I didn’t feel the chill. Instead, I felt warmth spreading deep in my belly.
Sid’s tongue slipped out between his lips, slowly wetting them. His eyes were dark, and another shiver ran through me, going straight to my core. I wasn’t sure who moved first, but suddenly we were standing toe to toe. My head fell back as I gazed up at him. His warm hand slid up my back slowly, stopping at the nape of my neck.
My heart raced, and I wet my lips in anticipation. I’d never wanted a kiss so badly in my life. There was a part of me that was intrigued by this man. What was he really like behind the frowns and grunts?
