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“Thank you,” she said, pulling it with her hands to get comfortable. Her gaze fell on his bare chest, and he saw the rush of pink in her face. He hoped it was the good kind of rush, after spending nearly all his time at the gym. “I don’t think I’ll stop until I get you to model for me.”
His laugh was more of a grunt. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“You downplay yourself,” she said. “Don’t tell me you don’t have women all over you.”
“In fact, I don’t. At least not that I know of.” He had a few who made the first move with him, but nothing to the amount of attention Nick gets. If it were the two of them at a bar, womenwould always approach Nick first. He knew he was attractive, but not at Nick’s level.
“Maybe it’s your body language. On the surface, you’re a little frosty, which makes you slightly unapproachable.” She peeked at him from the corner of her eye, then turned to fully face him. “When I first met you, I got the feeling that you didn’t like me.”
She wasn’t wrong, but he also wasn’t being forthcoming or level-headed about it. Alex had walked in with new friends, and Rick took one look at Charlie and wanted to run the other way. He was too ashamed to admit why.
“I’m sorry for that. I don’t think I was at my most mature then,” he said.
“So you’re mature now?” she teased.
“Absolutely not.” He smothered a smile.
“Then what is this between us?” she asked, taking a step closer to him. “Before, you didn’t even make it five minutes in a conversation with me. Your responses now are like day and night.” Charlie’s warmth spread to him, and they still had inches separating them. “It’s not just attraction. You want me, Rick.”
The look she cast him was almost accusing, if not for the twinkle in her eyes. She looked absolutely remarkable under the shadows. Wind pushing her hair back, revealing the glories of her face, especially the invitation from her lips.
Succumbing to the pull, he tugged her arm and dragged her to him. The move shocked her as she gasped, but she melted right against him.
“Idowant you. So much that I am going crazy,” he said harshly. “I think I’ve always wanted you. And it’s like getting punched in the balls every time I try to ignore the feeling.”
She frowned. “Why are you trying to ignore it?”
“There’s a lot I have to consider before anything can happen with you. You’re not just a woman I met at a bar, online, or through a friend.” He sucked in a hefty portion of air. “You’reAlex’s good friend, a family to him, even. I’m not going to jump your bones just because I’m horny.”
“So, you’re being a gentleman about it,” she said. “That’s very thoughtful of you, but you should realize that there’stwoof us. Alex is family to me too, but I’m a big girl. I make my own decisions.”
“And what’s your decision?”
She huffed a breath as her hair flew with the mild wind. “Well, I know that I want you, too. It’s crazy that we have to tiptoe around that. We’re adults, not teenagers.”
“You just ended an engagement. Your mother is pressuring you to get back in the saddle. Are you sure you’re not running on adrenaline with all these new things happening?”
Wrinkling her nose as if he insulted her, she stepped back. “You’re saying I don’t know how to think for myself. That’s so presumptuous. I ended the engagement because I knew it wasn’t a right fit. Don’t get me started with the drama with my mother. You don’t want me triggered like that.” Even from the darkness, he could see the fire racing through her. “How dare you say that my feelings for you were anything other than a genuine emotion from the times we spent together?”
“I didn’t mean it that way,” he said. “I just didn’t see this coming.”
“See what coming? Us?”
He nodded with reluctance.
“Neither did I, but it looks like you’re treating it as something bad,” she said. “And all I can think of is how nice it is to talk to you. When you comfort me during those low times, I thought you were someone I could really lean on. And when you kissed me, I never wanted it to end.”
Rick saw the reverence in her face, felt himself crumble before he leaned down to crush their lips together. She clutched him, responding to him as though it were most natural. He tasted salt, chocolate, and vanilla from her mouth, discovering moreflavors as he delved. Unable to get enough, he inhaled her moan and savored the softness of her lips.
He didn’t stop until his jaw hurt, unwilling to pull away. She kept her hands around him, massaging the back of his neck with her fingers. Slowly, he dragged his mouth from hers, breathing much needed air.
“I could kiss you all night long,” he whispered. “But there’s a lot I need to think about first.”
“That’s usually the girl’s line,” she said.
He chuckled against her face. “You need to think about it, too.”
“I guess I do,” she agreed. “But before that, can we kiss some more?”
