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He looked at her mouth before returning his gaze to her eyes. “Come on. I’ve only got an hour for my lunch break.” He took her hand in his, pulling her along beside him as they walked up a dirt path.
“In the winter, kids use this as a sledding hill,” he pointed out.
She nodded, taking in the green grass-covered mound. Several trees reached out their naked limbs towards the blue sky at the top. A plaid blanket with a wooden basket sat underneath one.
Her eyes darted to Bently and then back. “What is this?”
He held out his arm and gave a slight bow. “Your picnic, my lady.”
Emotion welled in her chest, stinging her eyes. She blinked, trying to hold back the tears that threatened. He’d listened to her the other night and taken time out of his busy workday to make one of her dreams a reality. Bently had put in the effort and hadn’t expected anything from her in return.
Bently cleared his throat. His brows drew together in concern. “Are you okay?”
She stepped forward, placing a hand on his chest, looking up into his eyes. “You did this for me?”
He shrugged. “Everyone should have at least one fancy picnic in their lifetime.”
Didn’t this man know just how amazing this was?
“I—I don’t know what to say . . . Thank you, Bently. This means . . . it means the world to me.”
His brow furrowed as he looked away, almost as if he was embarrassed.
She instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck, as he secured her waist. The air thundered with anticipation between them. She reached up on her tiptoes. His pulse beat frantically against her chest as her resolve splintered.
He’d been so gentle with her—she could do the same for him. If labels seemed to scare him, she could avoid them for his sake. There was no way he just wanted to be her friend. Yes, he flirted with everyone, but the things he said to her, the way he’d trusted her with his demons, the effort he put into taking care of her—he was wooing her, dating her, no matter what he wanted to call it.
Was she ready to do the same? He hadn’t said he was ready for a relationship—but his actions spoke loud enough. Did she really care about the label enough to pass up this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity based on her fear?
“Bently?” Her voice came out needy.
“Yes?” he asked, pained.
“Kiss me.”
He hesitated only a moment before he leaned the rest of the way, his soft lips caressing hers gently, slowly, as if savoring the delicious connection. She traced the seam of his lips with her tongue, tasting him. His kiss turned hungry and seeking as he squeezed her closer, stealing the breath from her lungs. This kiss gave as much as it took. This kiss had the power to heal her, or break her. The connection was like a riptide, sucking her under and leaving her powerless to stop it. She sighed, pressing herself against his hard planes. One of her hands wove into his hair and gripped. He groaned, possessive fire slamming through her at the hypnotic sound. Calloused hands cupped her face before he slowly pulled away, resting his forehead on hers.
The world around them came back into focus. The sound of their heavy panting was the only exchange between them as a million thoughts raced in her mind. Is he going to be mad and shut down like before? Does this mean he wants a relationship? Did she just ruin their friendship?
“You’re under arrest,” Bently said.
What the hell? Her brow furrowed as she pulled back.
He was grinning. “For taking my breath away.”
She burst out laughing as he joined her. “You just can’t help yourself, can you?”
“Where’s the fun in that?” he asked, sitting on the blanket and patting the spot next to him.
She got comfortable as he opened the wooden basket and pulled out a whole charcuterie with an array of dried meats, aged cheeses, and marinated olives. Inside was also a bottle of wine, water, and chocolate truffles.
“There’s only one glass?” she asked.
“I’m on duty. It’s all yours, Angel.”
She picked up a cracker, piling it with meat and cheese before she took a bite. As he ate, he seemed to be more interested in studying the people below them playing at the park than speaking to her.
“This is a nice town,” she said.
