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“Sorry. I had the woman at the front desk call you instead of coming back to your office because everyone who works here is staring at me like a zoo animal and it was kind of freaking me out.”
I exhale, incredibly relieved nothing is wrong.
“Carl’s fault. He told the whole office why I was in Texas—”
I’m suddenly sandwiched between Kyle and the elevator wall, his warm mouth covering mine. It takes me a split second to work through the shock, and then I’m kissing him back, moaning as his hands slip beneath my blazer and grip my waist. We’re frantic and frenzied, tongues tangling and breaths mingling.
He suddenly steps back. Exhales. “Shit. Sorry. I didn’t mean to do that.”
I arch a brow.
Kyle shakes his head, smiling a little. “I mean, I’ve been dying to do that since you dropped the mug. But I didn’t mean to do it like that. Here. I—” He glances at the buttons, then pulls the red one.
Immediately, the elevator stops moving.
My mouth gapes. “What the hell are you doing? I’m pretty sure that calls the fire depart—”
He kisses me again.
And I sink into it again, the part of me that was secretly hoping for—craving—this ever since I saw him flaring to life. A few days weren’t long enough to clear him out of my system. I’m starting to worry what length of timewillbe enough.
Kyle pulls back, both of us panting for breath. “I’ve always wanted to pull that button. Does it actually call the fire department?”
“I don’t know! I’ve never done it!”
He grins. “Have dinner with me tonight.”
“Like a date?”
He nods, turning serious. “Exactly like a date.”
I fiddle with the buttons on his shirt, avoiding his eyes. I’m painfully aware of each thud in my chest, my heart protesting the words I’m about to say. “I can’t. My mom is having my whole family over for dinner tonight. In her words, attendance isn’t optional.” I glance up, registering the disappointment in his expression. “I’m sorry.”
Kyle quickly wipes the disappointment away. I know him well enough to tell that his smile is forced. “Sounds like a scary situation. Oak Grove has fewer police officers than are in your immediate family.”
I smile at that—at the reminder that Kyle knows me.Reallyknows me.
And it makes the next words fall out effortlessly when they’ve always been a struggle before.
“You…you’re welcome to come, if you want. My mom always makes way too much food. And most of it will have meat in it. I’m the only one who stuck with vegetarianism.”
“I don’t want to impose.”
“I lived on your ranch for almost two weeks. If you want to talk impositions, I definitely have you beat.” I smile. “My brothers bring friends to dinner all the time. It’s not a big deal.”
“I’m a friend?”
“I thought so. Did that…change?”
Kyle sighs, running a hand through his hair. “Nothing’s changed.”
From his tone, I can’t tell if that’s a good or bad thing. Maybe he doesn’t know either.
“Is that a yes on dinner?”
He nods, a half-smile appearing. “Can’t recall the last time I said no to you.”
“I can,” I whisper.
