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“Doing what?”
“Pretending there’s nothing but friendship between us.”
Currently, there was nothing but a few inches between us as he leaned over me, and my skin prickled from his nearness. “Thatcher.”
“Hattie. I’ve wanted you from the moment we met. And it’s just getting worse. And I really hope I’m not wrong about this because I’ve been terrible with women my entire adult life. But I think you feel the same way about me.”
I still didn’t understand why he thought he was so bad with women. From the moment we’d met, he’d pretty much much had me. In fact, until I’d seen those boots in his car, I’d have probably been the one to askhimout on a second date before that one was even over.
But Ihadseen those boots.
And yet … more than anything, I wanted to lean into him. I wanted to close this distance. Because holy wow, the intensity in his stare was hotter than any fire he’d ever put out. Guaranteed.
My mind told me to resist, to disagree with him about how I felt. But my heart didn’t seem too keen on that idea. It squeezed painfully in my chest, almost begging me to be honest with him. “I do.”
Two words.
They were just two small words, but they seemed to have the power to free him of the control he’d had. Before I could blink, I was in his arms, locked into his embrace so tightly that it stole my breath.
A half second later, his warm lips met mine, and I gave myself freely to the passion of his kiss. All thoughts of friendship and his status as temporary were gone from my mind, and it was only this moment that mattered. I could only register his mouth moving in a rhythmic pattern, taking as much as he gave.
My hands lifted from their place on his chest to find the back of his head, running over the buzzed hair at the base of his neck. I stood on my toes, eager to get closer to him.
My lashes fluttered against his cheeks, and the crisp sandalwood and vetiver of his cologne invaded my senses, making me dizzy and grateful for his strong arms around me.
His hands explored the hollows of my back as he held me flush against his strong chest, our bodies fitting together like puzzle pieces.
Thatcher was so, so right.
To say there was only friendship between us was wrong. It was so much more. And while, yes, the fire burning between us was probably even hotter than the fire in his eyes moments ago, it was more than that, too.
I couldn’t be sure because I’d never felt it before, but I couldn’t deny my suspicion that the feeling coursing through me right now might actually be closer tolove.
As soon as the four-letter word entered my mind, I pulled back, shocked by its weight. “Stop.”
“What?” he breathed, pulling back immediately and reaching up to cup my cheek. “Are you okay?”
My response was clogged up behind the thickness of my throat, and I shook my head. “I don’t know.”
“You don’t know if you’re okay?”
“No, it’s not that. I’m okay.”
“So, what don’t you know?”
Again, my words failed me, and I only stared at him.
His eyes searched my face, and I could practically feel him reaching into my thoughts. Then the corners of his lips twitched slightly. “You wanna know what I know?”
“What?” I asked warily, my cheek tingling where he still held it, his thumb smoothing over it with a featherlight touch.
“I know this feels right.”
I could only nod. He had me there. It did feel right. But that was what scared me.
“How about this?” he asked. “What if we make a new deal?”
“What kind of deal?”
