Chapter 30
After a “goodnight” murmured between kisses, Jake leaves me standing on the front porch—thoroughly dazed. I touch my fingertips to my lips and smile against them.
There’s something irresistible when a man repeatedly described as steady and dependable instead acts on impulse. Arriving without a plan and letting that stable control of his slip.
And at the top of that list, I want to be with you.
I turn back inside, stopping to bend down and retrieve my hair clip. Seeing it deposited so haphazardly stretches my grin wider.
“You look happy.”
A screech escapes me as I jump back and clutch at my chest. My heart threatens to pound right out of it, and my hand grasps desperately over the frantic thuds, as if planning to catch it if that happens.
Leaning in the kitchen doorway at the back of the house, Claire beams triumphantly.
“What are you doing home?” I gasp.
She saunters in and throws her purse on the counter before jumping up next to it. “Levi got a message from work. Someone called off and he needs to go in and open tomorrow morning, way earlier than I felt like waking up.”
I move towards her, trying to put my clip back in my hair as I go. “How long were you standing there before I noticed? That was so creepy.”
“Not long at all.” She picks at a loose thread on her sweater sleeve. Or Levi’s sweater sleeve since it looks oversized and has a Buffalo Bills logo on it. I don’t recall her ever buying anything football related.
I sink down onto the end of the sofa nearest her. “Still very creepy. Announce yourself when you walk in a door. Especially at night.”
“I drove by Jake walking Charlie on my way back,” she replies. “Anything to do with why you are practically glowing?”
A fresh tickle of awareness spreads across my skin, reminding me of every place his hands and mouth had just been. “Actually.” My cheeks heat. “We just kissed.”
“Finally,” she cheers, launching herself off the counter once more. “I need to hear everything, but wait.”
“Wait?”
Instead of rushing towards me, she turns to the refrigerator and withdraws a bottle of wine. Then she takes down two of the blue plastic wine glasses from the cupboard.
“This calls for a celebration,” she explains, holding up her spoils and bounding over to the living room.
I remember her allergy too late, just as she falls back on the couch cushions. “Shit, dog hair. I’m sorry I had Charlie on the—”
“Who cares, one night is different than living with a dog here all the time.” She waves off my concern with the hand brandishing the wine bottle, then uncorks it with her teeth. A move made easier by the fact that we started the bottle at dinner and lazily recapped it.
I take the glasses and hold them as she pours, then pass one back as she sets the empty bottle on the end table. With a drink in each of our hands, she levels me with a serious stare. “Okay, I’m ready for every single detail. Spare nothing.”
“He came over completely spur of the moment and threw pebbles at my studio window.”
“Shut up.” She sighs. “That is so romantic.”
“And he was such a mess, his hair all tousled, and he was going on about how he got good news for the hotel project that doesn’t feel good anymore.”
Claire gasps, reaching out and clutching my arm. “Because he cares about you more?”
Suddenly, I’m thrilled she put wine in my hand before this conversation. I down half my glass before responding.
“Maybe but… kissing him was probably such a dumb idea,” I admit.
“Why? Was he bad at it?”
“Not at all, it was the hottest moment of my life.”
She grins. “Then what is the problem?”
“This all started as a way to run him out of town. And now that he’s second guessing the hotel, I get this twisting pain in my chest when I think about him losing the bid and having to go.” I throw my head back and blink up at the ceiling.
There’s a shuffling sound, and then I feel the weight of Claire pressing against me. Her hand gently tipping my head over to her shoulder. “I know this situation totally sucks.”
My cheek presses to her sweatshirt, muffling my speech. “It would have been easier if the kiss was bad.”
“Sorry that you’re falling for such a dreamy man.”
“It is rather unfortunate,” I deadpan.
She rolls her eyes as a snicker passes between us. “Tell me about how it happened?”
“He was about to kiss me I think, but I was quiet and stuck in my head, so he was a gentleman and started to leave. Then for the first time ever, I made a move.”
“Are you saying that you kissed him?” Her voice lifts in sheer surprise.
“I know!” I laugh. “I did, and he just… he had me. I’m not sure how to describe it but I was so certain that he wouldn’t let me down.”
“God, that’s the best feeling. Isn’t it?”
I nod against her. “I could really get used to it.”
And what scares me the most is that I think I already have.