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“But you don’t have to make a big deal out of it,” Lyric reminded her.
“I get it.” Kyra dug her keys out of her purse.
Did she? The woman looked a little too excited to him.
“You two don’t want any pressure. That makes total sense. Aiden will be on board with that.” She gasped. “We’ll have to go on a triple date soon! Maybe we should go to Jackson to celebrate! We could all stay in a hotel and have a fancy dinner and—”
“We’re pretty busy.” Lyric finally stepped away from his side, panic registering on her face for the first time.
Well, good. Now she was on the same page as him.
“We’re all busy, but we can find time for this.” Kyra hugged her again. “When are you telling Silas and Tess?”
Lyric glanced at him. How the hell was he supposed to know? None of this had been his harebrained idea. “I guess soon.” Because it wasn’t like Aiden would keep the news to himself once he heard. Did Lyric even realize what she’d started? She’d lit a match now, and there’d be no stopping the impending inferno. News like this spread through town like a forest fire. Damn. Too late to go back now. At least he could escape tonight. “I should get going.”
“That’s right. You have to call your mom.” Lyric was nervously knotting her hands together in front of her waist. “Yes, you’d better go. Tell her I said happy birthday.”
“Will do.” Or not. His mom would be a little too ecstatic to hear he and Lyric had discussed her birthday. She’d get all kinds of ideas in her head. “See ya.” He turned to leave but hadn’t even taken a step before Kyra cleared her throat.
“You two can kiss in front of me, you know.”
No, they couldn’t. They really couldn’t.
“Oh, that’s okay.” Lyric’s laugh was about as authentic as the plastic ficus in the corner. “Thatch is super shy about PDA.”
Oh, sure. Blame him. If he was with someone like Lyric, he wouldn’t be shy at all about showing her some love in front of anyone and everyone. “I’m not shy.” He whirled back to her.
Her eyes widened, and her lips formed the most perfectO.
She wanted everyone to think they were dating? Fine. He scooped his arms around her waist and drew her to him, those exotic eyes growing larger with each inch. “Bye, honeybunch.” Before she could respond, he laid one on her—pressing his lips against hers. He wasn’t anticipating how soft they would be. Or how the subtle strawberry taste of her lip gloss would hit him. Against his will, he lingered there, holding her, inhaling her, letting his lips lull hers into a rhythm. She didn’t push him away. In fact, her hands gripped his arms tight, as if trying to hold him there.
“My, my, my.” Kyra hummed from someplace nearby. “I really should leave you two alone.”
Lyric pulled back, her eyes wide and unblinking.
He couldn’t look away either. Hell, he couldn’t even see straight after that kiss.
“I can give you two the room.” Giggling to herself, Kyra gathered up a pile of files.
“Not necessary,” Lyric finally said. “Thatch has to go.” She waved him away. “See you soon.”
“Yes, you will.” A growl was all he could manage with the heat climbing up his throat.
He trotted out the door and down the steps, welcomingthe cold air that slapped him in the face. Not the smartest move to kiss the woman who’d rejected him, but he couldn’t say he regretted the impulsive decision either.
Mouth still scorching, he climbed into the driver’s seat and started the engine. His phone chimed in his back pocket. He dug it out and glanced at the text from Lyric.
Honeybunch?????
Thatch laughed out loud as he drove away.
CHAPTER SIX
Was the coast clear? Lyric rolled through the café’s parking lot, identifying each vehicle she drove past, but Thatch’s truck was nowhere to be seen. Good. She could go in and meet her friends for an afternoon coffee break without having an awkward run-in with her pretend boyfriend. This conversation with Tess and Kyra was going to be hard enough without bringing Thatch into the mix.
Heat zinged across her cheeks. Who knew? Maybe he’d kiss her again, and then she’d get all weak-kneed and breathless like she did the last time, and who knew how long it would take her to stop having flashbacks.
Check that. She was still having flashbacks. She would likely never stop reliving that kiss.
