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“I should go.” I make a big deal of checking my watch. “I would like to get back to the city at a reasonable time.”
His expression shifts, but the effect lasts only a moment before he nods. “Of course. I don't want to keep you. You've more than earned your fee tonight.”
Bending to pick up my bag from its place beside my chair, I have to laugh at myself. “What did I do? You handled everything so well.”
“Do you want to know a secret?” He grimaces as we begin winding our way through the tables scattered around the room. “I was ready to shit my pants the entire time.”
I have to stifle a laugh if only because we’re in public. “Charming.”
“You know what I mean. I couldn't shake the feeling that I was walking on a thin wire, and things could go either way.”
“Nobody would have known. I sure didn't.”
“So you think I handled myself well?”
“Would it give you too big a head if I said you did?”
At least he pretends to think it over. “I don't know. It's tough to say. I'm not sure my head could get much bigger.”
“No comment.” I can't believe I'm actually laughing by the time he holds the front door open for me to step outside.
I needed the fresh air, that much is for sure. A few deep breaths as I walk to the car with Sawyer on my heels goes a long way toward clearing my head. I can handle this. It's not a big deal.
So what if the addition of moonlight and a sky full of stars makes the whole moment entirely too romantic? So what if Sawyer's dark hair gleams in the silvery light that perfectly illuminates his frustratingly chiseled features when we come to a stop? I should stop looking at him, but I can’t. And I don’t want to.
“Do me a favor?” he asks in a soft voice.
“It depends on the favor,” I warn, skeptical.
His head tips to the side. “Have you always possessed this suspicious attitude?”
“Only when it comes to people I'm not sure I can trust.”
“Well, I was going to ask you to text me and let me know you got home safely.” His lips twitch at my obvious surprise. “What? Not what you were expecting?”
“Frankly, no. It's not.”
He takes a tiny step closer, until the toes of our shoes are nearly touching and I am hopelessly overwhelmed thanks to his nearness, to the musky scent of his cologne and the way his gaze keeps darting back and forth between my eyes and my mouth.
“Maybe you need to adjust your opinion of me if it's still so low.” Then all at once he's filling the entire world, leaning down to catch my mouth with his before I even know what's happening.
And all at once I grab him by his lapels and clutch them tight, holding him in place while fireworks go off in my head and an absolute inferno flares to life in my core. I can't hear anything over the rush of blood in my ears, the pounding of my heart. We might as well be the only two people in the world, especially once his arms close around my back and he pulls my body flush with his.
It's almost enough to make me forget who's kissing me.
But not quite.
It's the last thing I want to do, pushing him away, but sometimes we have to do the last thing we want if it means recovering our self-respect.
We're both breathing hard, staring at each other. “What is your problem?” he pants. “Don't act like you didn't want me to do that.”
“You are so damn full of yourself.” It's almost laughable how desperately I need to regain control. Not for him—never for him. For my own sake. So I don't completely lose myself.
“So that wasn't you grabbing me and holding on tight?”
“Don't be such a child.” I use the fob on my keychain to unlock the door, then practically throw myself inside before he has the chance to charm me—or worse.
Damn it, Willow. That would have been the worst possible move without factoring in the identity of the client who kissed me. I would beat myself up if he were anybody else, but he isn't anybody else. He is Sawyer Cargill, sentient pond scum.
Sentient pond scum who knows how to kiss. Does he ever.
It was just a kiss, dammit. I can handle a simple kiss.
Maybe if I tell myself so enough times, I'll believe it. Maybe I won't want so much to turn my car around and head straight back to his open arms so he can keep kissing me that way for as long as he wants to.
