Chapter 4
CHAPTER
FOUR
Josh didn’t want the night to end—not when being around her felt so easy, so unexpectedly right—but when Chris yawned and offered a sheepish smile, he didn’t take it personally.
She quickly apologized, blaming the long day, not his company, and he gave a soft nod.
He got it. He was running on fumes himself after the early morning meeting, the five-hour trip from Tampa, and then everything that followed.
Just after twenty-three hundred hours, it was all finally catching up to him, too.
Even so, he hated the idea of walking away from this—whatever this was—now that something between him and Chris had started to take shape.
“I’m getting tired too,” he said honestly, pushing his chair out from the table and standing. “And we’ve got the rehearsal in the morning.” He offered his hand to help her down from the bar-height stool. “C’mon. I’ll walk you to your room.”
She slipped her hand into his with quiet certainty, and he felt it instantly—the softness of her skin, the way her palm warmed against his. It was such a small thing, but something about it struck him. Natural. Easy. Right.
She grinned up at him. “The perfect gentleman returns.”
He narrowed his eyes. “I wasn’t being a gentleman tonight?” He quickly ran through their evening in his head, wondering if he’d crossed a line without realizing. But her playful tone and the fact that she didn’t pull her hand away told him that all was good.
“I didn’t say that.” Her eyes sparkled. “Tonight, you were a flirtatious, entertaining, yet polite gentleman. The perfect gentleman just prevented me from potentially face-planting between the height of the stool and these heels I’m wearing.
He also offered to walk me to my room, which, by the way, is where the evening will end. At the door.”
“I didn’t expect you to ask me in, if that’s what you’re worried about.” His voice was quiet, calm—but he held her gaze to make sure she saw the truth in it.
“See? The perfect gentleman.” She gave his hand a light squeeze.
“Most of the guys I’ve dated since my divorce seemed to think all first dates end in the bedroom, or at least on the couch.
Of course, I usually don’t find that out until the middle or end of the dates, but I always drive my own car, so I can leave whenever I want.
One jerk wanted to do it in the bathroom at the restaurant—right after he suggested that, I paid for my dinner and then left without another word. ”
“You’ve obviously been dating the wrong guys,” he said, guiding her toward the hotel’s elevators, their steps moving in sync, like they’d walked together a hundred times before.
One corner of her mouth lifted in a wry smile. “Story of my life so far.”
“Hmm. Well, then… maybe it’s time for that story to change.”
The elevator ride was quiet in the best kind of way—companionable, not awkward.
Chris leaned lightly against the back wall, while Josh stood beside her, his hands casually in his pockets.
He’d released her hand when she’d stepped into the elevator ahead of him and pressed the button for her floor.
But even without the direct contact, she could feel his presence without looking at him. Warm. Grounded. Safe.
Three floors never felt so fast. She half-hoped for a glitch to stall them somewhere in between.
“You’re quiet,” he said after a beat, his voice soft.
She glanced at him, a faint smile tugging at her lips. “Just thinking.”
“About?”
Her head tilted, teasing. “Whether you’re always this charming, or if I just bring it out of you.”
He chuckled, low and genuine, the sound settling in her chest like a stone dropped into still water—rippling outward, leaving warmth in its wake.
The elevator dinged. As the doors slid open, he reached for her hand again, and she gave it without hesitation.
Their fingers laced together as they stepped out, their pace slow and unhurried.
She gestured toward the right—her room was at the far end.
As they walked, the quiet hush of the hallway wrapped around them, cocooning them in their own world.
She searched for something to say. The pull of exhaustion tugged at her, but she wasn’t ready to let the moment end just yet. “So, early start tomorrow—ten o’clock rehearsal, right?”
Josh nodded, running a hand over his short hair. “Yeah, then brunch with the whole bridal party. Honestly, I just hope I make it through the entire weekend. It’s been years since I was a groomsman. And yeah, that made me sound like an old man, and I’m not even thirty-five yet.”
She giggled softly and squeezed his hand. “Well, I’ll be there to help you get through the hard stuff. We’ll survive it together.”
“Thank you.” He grinned. “After brunch, how about we explore the town? I’ve only been here a couple of times with Stefan and some teammates, so there are plenty of places I haven’t seen yet.
We can check out the shops, do a little sightseeing, and maybe stumble across a few spots off the beaten path. ”
Her eyes lit up as they stopped at the door to her room. “I love that idea. I haven’t seen any of the island yet.”
He moved a little closer, his voice smooth and inviting. “Then it’s a date.”
Her heart beat faster at his declaration and how his gaze locked onto hers with a steady intensity.
Releasing her hand, he reached up and brushed a strand of hair away from her face, tucking it behind her ear like she’d done several times during the evening.
He licked his lips, the motion drawing attention to their fullness.
“I want to kiss you good night. That’s it. Just a kiss.”
Chris’s breath caught at his reverent honesty. He didn’t step toward her. Instead, he waited patiently for her response. She wouldn’t be surprised if he stood there all night, giving her time and space to decide what happened next.
No pressure. No expectations. Just a choice—her choice.
She held his gaze a moment longer, the world narrowing to the space between them, her pulse skipping as curiosity and longing tangled in her chest. An impish grin spread across her face. “Then what are you waiting for, Chief?”
Josh’s chest tightened at her words—light and teasing, but with something deeper just beneath. She wasn’t backing away. She granted him permission. Just a kiss. That was all he’d asked for, and suddenly, it felt like everything.
He stepped in, closing the distance, his gaze flicking from her eyes to her lips and back again.
One hand came up slowly, his fingers brushing her cheek, then settling at the edge of her jaw.
Her skin was soft beneath his touch, warm from the summer night and maybe something more.
Her eyes locked on his with that same spark that’d tempted him all night.
He dipped his head, pausing just long enough for her to meet him halfway. She didn’t disappoint.
The kiss started gently. A question. A promise. Her lips fit against his like they’d been made for it, and he lost track of everything else. The hallway, the hotel, the reason they were there—all of it slipped away.
Heat curled low in his belly, his pulse kicking up as her hand slid up his chest and rested near his collarbone.
The heat from her palm radiated through his shirt, leaving an imprint on his skin.
The kiss deepened naturally, effortlessly, her lips parting just enough to let him in.
It wasn’t rushed or unbridled. But, damn, did it burn.
His hand drifted to the curve of her waist, not pulling her in, just holding her close.
Yes, he wanted more. Wanted to deepen the kiss, to linger in that moment where nothing existed but the two of them—but he also didn’t want to cross a line too fast. She mattered—he knew that with every cell of his body.
Reluctantly, he pulled back, his forehead resting against hers, their breaths mingling.
“Okay...” His voice was so husky that he almost didn’t recognize it. “That might’ve just ruined me for any other goodnight kiss.”
She let out a soft laugh, her thumb caressing the side of his neck. “I think I have to agree. It’s a good thing we’ve got the whole weekend to see if we can surpass it, though.”
His pulse raced like he had just won something he hadn’t realized he’d been chasing. “Damn right.”
Josh stepped back only when she reached for her key card.
She turned and unlocked the door, glancing over her shoulder once.
Her lips were still parted, slightly swollen from the kiss, and the look in her eyes—equal parts heat and hesitation—made it damn near impossible to walk away. “Good night, Josh.”
“Good night, sweetheart.” To anyone else, it might’ve seemed too early to use a term of endearment—after all, they’d only known each other for a few hours—but the word felt right falling from his lips.
He stood there until the door closed behind her and the soft click of the deadbolt reached his ears. Only then did he turn away.
Three steps down the hall, he exhaled a heavy breath and ran a hand down his face. His grin was unstoppable. He felt lit up from the inside, buzzing with the memory of her lips on his.
A low hum slipped from his throat—tuneless and entirely unconscious—as he took the stairs, two at a time, up to his floor.
Tomorrow couldn’t come fast enough.