Chapter 14 #2
Tripp didn’t want her to go. Not yet. He didn’t want this truce to end only for them to go their separate ways and return to the status quo.
“What do you say I get us some cake and we find a quiet place to eat it?” He dangled the offer in front of her, praying that she’d take the bait.
He could see her interest flicker in her eyes but there was also something holding her back. “Please?” he whispered.
He came under her scrutiny and he fought the urge to squirm. A breath of relief expelled from his lungs when she finally nodded.
“Okay.”
They sat on the tailgate of his truck with cake in hand. Wendy’s feet were still bare and she swung them back and forth as she laughed. “I’m serious. They were actually discussing what armadillos were made of.”
Tripp stared at her dumbfounded. “How did that conversation start?”
“Well, the one guy picked up this brass armadillo I had on display. He was staring at it with confusion and his girlfriend asked him if he was okay. He asked her what real armadillos were made of.”
He chuckled, shaking his head. “Please tell me they were teenagers.”
Wendy laughed again. “I wish. No, they were adults. And when she told him they were just armadillos, he looked disappointed and he told her he’d thought they were made out of dragon scales or something.”
Tripp nearly choked on his cake. “What?”
“Right?” She cocked her head and chuckled to herself. “I suppose it would make sense to think that, though. Armadillos are a special kind of animal. Maybe they did come from dragons.”
“And that was the strangest experience you’ve had working at the shop?”
“Not even close,” Wendy admitted.
His brows lifted. “What else happened?”
She stared at him a moment as if considering. Then she grinned. “Okay, one time a guy came in and insisted he was a medium. He said he could tell which items were haunted.”
“No,” Tripp whispered with amusement. “What happened?”
“He offered to take the offending items off my hands free of charge.”
He snorted. “So what did you do?”
That triumphant smile he loved so much filled her face. “I increased the prices for said objects and when the guy protested and demanded to know why, I told him that haunted items are worth far more.”
Tripp laughed. “Served him right.”
This. Moments just like this one were what Tripp wanted. He could feel it in his bones, that tether he had to this woman. She was smart. Funny. She could hold her own and she was so fun to mess with. Something told him he’d never get tired of someone like her.
On top of all that, she was breathtakingly beautiful and she didn’t even seem to notice. “You really are something else,” he murmured. Only after the words left his lips, did he realize he’d said it out loud.
Wendy stilled beside him, but she didn’t move away like he’d expected.
Instead, she maintained a strong stare at her now empty plate.
Tripp didn’t know why he felt prompted to do so, but he reached forward and grasped her chin.
Turning it gently, he waited for her to meet his gaze. He didn’t have to wait long.
Her lashes fluttered and she exhaled a shuddering breath. Everything around them went still. The music from the party faded. The sounds of the critters in the dark were quiet. It was as if the whole world held its breath for what he was about to do next.
Slowly, he slanted his face toward her. He searched her eyes for any sign that she didn’t want this as much as he did. The chemistry between them had always been chaotic, tumultuous, but only in the best ways.
He brushed his lips over hers, teasing, tasting, testing. He didn’t dare demand more from her out of fear she’d rear back and slap him. Maybe he’d deserved it for reasons he wasn’t entirely certain of. But then her lips parted and she kissed him back.
Music, light, and a taste so sweet exploded.
Somehow, he’d known nothing would compare to kissing this woman.
Their first kiss was no fluke. This one was even better.
She was perfection embodied. Strong, quiet, and whole.
He knew without a doubt she could steal his heart without even trying.
All she’d have to do was ask him to be hers, and he’d jump.
His whole life had been leading up to something. It had been holding its breath, waiting for him to be ready. Maybe that was why they’d lived in the same city for so long and never bumped into each other—because his heart hadn’t been ready. Not until this very moment.
Chest aching, he fought the urge to pull her into him so he could consume her like she’d already unknowingly done to him. Perhaps he would have, too, if she hadn’t carefully extricated herself from him.
Tripp blinked several times, his vision coming back into focus. He was breathing heavy but so was she. Only, she wasn’t meeting his eyes anymore.
Wendy rolled her lips together and exhaled forcibly. “Well…”
He waited, holding his breath. Could he dare tell her that she tasted like heaven? That he could see a future with her?
No.
Of course not.
That would only scare her off.
Her eyes flitted up to meet his, full of emotions he wasn’t willing to decipher just yet. “Can you take me home, Tripp? I’m tired.”
His brows furrowed. “Home?”
The small smile she attempted to plaster on her face didn’t reach her eyes. “Yeah. I think I’m ready to call it a night.”
“You… don’t want to…”
She didn’t want to talk about that mind-blowing kiss? About the undeniable tension and chemistry that tied them together? They could get through anything if she was willing.
Wendy swallowed and she placed a palm to his cheek. “You’re a good kisser, Tripp. Of course you are.” She blushed. “And I guess I’m lucky that you gave me attention.”
Now wait a gosh darn minute. She wasn’t saying what he thought she was saying, was she? Before he had a chance to put her in her place, Wendy continued.
“I know the kiss didn’t mean anything—not in the way…” She swallowed again. “Anyway, it didn’t mean anything and that’s okay. It was fun. That’s all.” Her eyes searched his. It almost felt like she was pleading with him to agree with her.
What else could he do, if that was what she wanted?
He cleared his throat. “Yeah. You’re right. It was just a bit of fun.” He felt sick saying those words because, no! It wasn’t just a little fun for him. That kiss had been more. It had been everything.
She hopped down from the tailgate. “Then it’s settled. After the wedding, we’ll probably never see each other again anyway. It’s for the best. Less messy.”
“Yeah,” he murmured, squeezing the back of his neck. “Less messy.” He jerked his chin toward the truck. “Climb in. I’ll take you home.”