Chapter 6
DAYTON
S weet sixteen and never been kissed. I’d heard that term before, but sweet twenty-three and never been kissed? That was a surprise.
Her first kiss should be special. I couldn’t believe I was even thinking this, but it shouldn’t be here, in my cabin. No, it should be something romantic.
By the time she knocked on my door again, I was fully dressed. She’d gone next door to brush her teeth. I’d done exactly that too, saving the breakfast cleanup for later. There were more important things going on right now.
Her eyes widened in surprise when I opened the door, her gaze scanning me from head to toe. “You changed.”
She was right. I now wore a collared shirt with khaki shorts, not the workout shorts and tee I’d had on earlier.
“So did you,” I said.
She’d slept in her clothes from last night, so it was no surprise she’d changed. But she’d also put on a full face of makeup—minus lipstick. I assumed that was to keep her lips kiss-ready. My heart sped up at the thought that she wanted me to be her first kiss.
I assumed that also meant she hadn’t done anything else.
She was a virgin. That immediately made me feel guilty for all the dirty thoughts I’d had about her while she was seated across from me at breakfast. But the idea that I could be the only man who ever kissed her took my erection to the next level.
I felt like shit for thinking that. I’d only ever been with experienced women, going back as far as my pre-military days, but it had never really mattered that much to me.
But after meeting Vanessa, I saw the value of being the only guy to ever touch a certain woman.
A woman who brought out things in me that I hadn’t even realized were there.
“I’ll take you somewhere a little more romantic than my cabin.”
She looked past me. “Your cabin is plenty romantic.”
“I want your first kiss to be special. Trust me.”
The nod she gave me right then meant everything. She trusted me, and I’d do everything I could to honor that trust—including taking her to my favorite lookout.
“It’s in town,” I said. “There are a lot of places to find a view around here, but most see pretty decent traffic, even if it’s just locals coming up here to picnic or whatever else.
I found a spot very few people know about, but it does take a little extra work to get there. Do you mind a little bit of a walk?”
From her reaction, I guessed hikes weren’t her thing. Her expression shifted to a frown. I thought she might change her mind altogether.
“Just a walk,” I said. “It’s uphill, of course, but it takes no longer than ten minutes.”
Was ten minutes too long to walk uphill? I really had no idea. I’d spent so much time alone lately, I’d kind of checked out on how other people felt about things.
“That would be great,” she said. “Let’s go.”
What I hadn’t counted on was how it would feel to have her in my truck, seated next to me in the passenger seat. She was answering my question about her previous book, but it was hard to focus on her words.
This just felt right. I could easily see taking long trips with her. Maybe even in an SUV to hold the kids we’d have.
It was absolutely mind-boggling, but somehow, I’d managed to form a solid bond with this woman in less than a day. And most of that time was spent sleeping in separate bedrooms.
“What if it was a fluke?” she asked.
“A fluke?” I asked, hoping it didn’t give away that my mind had drifted.
“My first book. I’ve heard people say everyone has one book in them. Maybe that was all I had. One book. And I’m doomed to a blinking cursor for the rest of my life.”
“I don’t think everybody could write a bestseller, right?”
She’d said it was a bestseller. I remembered that much. And although I’d never been a reader, even I knew writing a bestselling novel was a huge achievement.
“No, but there are authors who had one big success. Emily Bronte, J. D. Salinger…and of course, Margaret Mitchell.”
I knew all those names, but I’d read none of their books, so I kept my mouth shut. I wanted to do what it took to boost her confidence and get her writing again.
“Even if I can get words on the page, that doesn’t mean I’m going to have the same level of success,” she said.
“Maybe you won’t. But maybe you’ll write books that will make money and pay your bills for the rest of your life. Would that be so bad?”
Long silence. I knew nothing about being an author, so I could have completely missed the mark. But when someone had a job they loved, life was far better than…well, anything else.
The work I was doing up here in Seduction Summit was perfect for me. It was a life I couldn’t have imagined for myself. Only one thing was missing—a woman by my side. I had exactly that right now, but it might not last.
I was so caught up in our conversation, I almost missed the turnoff.
At the last minute, I flipped on my turn signal and swung a hard left, forcing Vanessa to grab the armrest to steady herself.
But if she minded, she didn’t show it. In fact, she was still deep in our conversation, going by the next thing she said.
“I’m in control. I get to decide whether or not I write another book. And I’m going to write another book. And another. And another. You’ve inspired me.”
She looked over at me, and I puzzled over what she’d just said. I’d inspired her to write more books? I had no idea what I’d done, but I was proud to be her inspiration.
“Whatever I can do to help,” I said. “Here we are.”
She seemed to notice her surroundings for the first time. Had all her focus been on me? I sure as hell hoped so.
“This is beautiful,” she said.
“This isn’t the final destination.”
I pulled to a stop and cut the engine, looking out at the view in front of us. Straight ahead was a large rock people loved to perch on—people who weren’t afraid of heights, anyway. It boasted a beautiful view of the mountains.
I didn’t even want to think about how many people had done much more than kiss on that rock. I much preferred my private spot.
“Come on,” I said, opening my door and hopping out of the truck.
I started toward the trees to our left, then stopped at the clearing, turning and waiting for her. For a second, when I saw she was still in the truck, I feared this was where she’d put a stop to things.
“Are we allowed to be here?” she asked. “Can we get arrested?”
I smiled. “Yeah, this town doesn’t really have a police force. They come up from the next town over, if necessary, but nobody’s patrolling. Besides, this is public land. Ready?”
When she looked at me, her expression reminded me of what I’d asked her to do earlier. Trust me . And she did. My heart swelled as, once again, she trusted me.
I went first, trudging up the path I knew so well. Sometimes I came here just to get out of my cabin. Normally, my policy was ladies first, but not while trudging through the woods. If anything was going to jump out at us, I wanted to be the first line of defense.
We walked in silence for the few feet it took to get to our destination. I always felt at peace here. Nature never let me down.
“Oh wow,” Vanessa said as I moved aside to let her pass.
She was staring straight ahead. The view stretched as far as the eye could see—rocks and trees and even some yellow flowers mixed in. It looked like a painting that would hang on someone’s wall.
“I come up here just to clear my mind sometimes,” I said. “The walls of my cabin can feel like they’re closing in on me.”
“I do the same, except I go to a bookstore.” She was still staring straight ahead and seemed to be lost in thought.
“There’s one near my apartment. It has a cozy little seating area in the corner.
Most of the time, it’s available. I just grab a book and sit and read.
I could do that in my apartment, I know, but there’s something about being surrounded by people while hiding in a corner. It makes me feel safe.”
Fuck, this woman was perfect for me. That was exactly how I felt. There were few things I liked more than working alongside my fellow team members, listening to them banter while I kept quiet.
Suddenly, she looked at me. “So, when are you going to kiss me?”
As our eyes met, my heart skipped a beat. My pulse began pounding, warmth rushing through my body.
It wasn’t that I was working up the nerve. I was mostly waiting until the right moment. But now that she’d turned to look at me, I couldn’t wait another second.
I wasn’t sure who moved first. All I knew was that as she pressed her body against mine, sliding her hands over my shoulders, I had to hold myself back.
First kiss, I reminded myself. As much as I wanted to go full force into the kiss, I had to make this special. I had to take things slowly.
But as I stared down at her, I realized this was far more than physical attraction. This was the only woman I wanted for the rest of my life.
So I took a deep breath, lowered my head, and captured her lips in what started as a slow, sweet kiss.