6. A Kiss in the Dark
Chapter six
A Kiss in the Dark
Brody
A collective gasp ripples through the café like we dropped a sex tape instead of debating local wildlife. Every set of eyeballs swings our way, and I can feel the judgment. Chloe flashes me a look. Interest? Annoyance? Lust? But it’s gone before I can pin it down. Damn shame.
“Wh—what?” is all she manages. Maybe coffee would’ve been a better start, not dinner. Definitely not in front of a crowd.
“ You heard me .” My smile tugs wider, teetering right on the edge of cockiness. I’m practically oozing smugness at this point. “Let’s talk about this like adults—I mean, really talk—about the project. Then you decide if I’m still the arrogant asshole you think I am.”
Chloe’s eyes flick to the crowd, then to the door, before locking back on me. Her body goes rigid. Focused.
Before I can react, her fingers clamp around my wrist.
“ Come with me ,” she snaps through gritted teeth, pulling me toward the back.
Apparently, I’m being kidnapped.
It’d take nothing to stop her, but I don’t. I’m curious. Where the fuck is she taking me?
We push through the swinging doors into the kitchen, the air filled with heat, clatter, and something sweet baking. She yanks open a heavy door and shoves me through it.
Who knew being manhandled would be this hot? For a second, I thought she was about to throw me into a walk-in freezer.
We end up in a small, dimly lit storage room, packed with shelves of canned goods, giant sacks of flour, and containers neatly labeled with Sharpie. The door slams shut behind us, and the single overhead bulb flickers to life.
“ What the hell is this ?” I ask, scanning the makeshift interrogation room.
Her chest heaves as she tries to calm down. Okay, she’s either planning my death, or fighting the urge to jump me. It could go either way.
“You tell me, Mr. Big City Bigshot.” Her nostrils flare under the weight of her annoyance.
“You’re the one refusing to take a hint.
Let me spell it out for you. We don’t want you here.
And I, more importantly, don’t want to have dinner with you.
Why the hell did you ask me that? In front of everyone? ”
Her voice trails off, and for a second, she looks like she’s unraveling. Shoulders sagging, like the weight of everything’s starting to crush her.
I step closer and raise my hand to gently brush the hair from her cheek. She stiffens the second my fingers touch her soft skin, breath hitching—short and sharp.
My eyes lock on hers. Oh, she feels that. Hell, we both do.
Then, low, I say, “I didn’t ask.”
It takes a second for her brain to catch up. Watching the realization settle on her face is almost enough to make me laugh. Almost.
“ Don’t touch me .”
She slaps my hand away and backs up until she’s flush with the door. If she had claws, they’d be out by now. “ Didn’t ask … You’ve got some fucking nerve . But I’m onto you, and I suggest you stop whatever game you’re playing. There’s no way I’m going to let you win.”
“This isn’t a game,” I reply, shoving my amusement back down. “I’m not playing, Chloe. That’s why I asked you to dinner. I want you to see who I really am. Not the threat you keep telling yourself I must be. I’m not here to destroy your town.”
She rolls her eyes. Actually, rolls them. Damn, if that isn’t the sexiest eye roll I’ve ever seen.
“Give me a break. You don’t know shit about this town, let alone what’s best for the people who live here. So no, I’m done wasting my time on you.”
She spins around, grabbing for the door handle and yanking it hard. But nothing happens.
Her shoulders tense, and she tries again—harder. Not the dramatic exit she was going for. The wood creaks under the force, but it holds. The door doesn’t budge.
I bite back a grin. “Looks like I’m stuck with you a little longer.”
Wrong thing to say, genius.
She throws a panicked glance over her shoulder, eyes wide with fear. Then she really loses it—yanking on the handle like it’s a lifeline, her voice climbing from a tight whimper to yelling. Okay, this escalated fast.
At first, it’s funny. Ridiculous. Her panic over being locked in with me is kind of flattering, in a twisted way. But then I realize she’s not messing around. Her panic is real, her breathing ragged. She’s spiraling.
“Hey, hey, calm down,” I say, stepping closer, hand reaching for her shoulder.
Big mistake.
She whips around, flinching out of my grasp and launching into a panicked tirade. She’s talking so fast I only catch a few words— “stuck” and “get me out.”
I’ve seen this before. Elevator trauma, college edition. My roommate lost it when we were trapped for hours with a dying battery and no signal. A slap to the face snapped him out of it, but I’m not about to slap Chloe. I’m not that brave, or stupid.
So I do the next best thing.
Two steps, that’s all it takes to close the distance between us, cupping her face with both hands. Before she can protest, I press my lips firmly against hers.
She swallows a surprised gasp but doesn’t pull away.
If anything, she melts. Her body relaxes against mine, the tension dissolving as she leans into me, our mouths meeting in soft surrender.
Holy shit, she’s kissing me back. It’s a slow, surprised surrender, and I’m shocked at how much I don’t want to stop.
Her lips part slightly, and my tongue slips between them, tasting her. Fuck. She’s like sugar-coated sin, and I’m instantly hooked.
Heat climbs up the back of my neck, and that feeling in my gut from earlier twists and lurches all over again .
I delve deeper into the kiss, my fingers moving from her face to thread through her hair at the base of her head. It’s silky and faintly smelling of sweet honey—intoxicating. This is what I’ve been craving, even if I didn’t know it until now.
My hand slides down her back and grips her hip firmly, guiding her toward the door, pinning her against it. She exhales shakily as I press against her, my cock straining through my pants, desperate for more. I break the away, breathless, gazing deep into her eyes. I can’t hide my need.
“ Stop .”
She shoves me hard, and suddenly, I’m no longer within her warmth.
Her chest rises and falls rapidly, and her lips swollen from the heat of our kiss. She looks wrecked in the best possible way, and I’d be lying if I said my heart didn’t stutter at the loss.
But she’s right. It would be a mistake to entertain anything other than business while I’m here. I should never have crossed that line.
I’m about to apologize when she surprises me; she launches herself at me, mouth crashing against mine.
Her arms wrap around my neck, pulling me deeper, our bodies pressing closer.
One of my hands drops to her waist, holding her steady as I push her back against the door again.
She sighs into my mouth, her leg hooking around mine, pulling me closer.
Our tongues clash desperately. If I had any doubts about this woman being a walking contradiction, they’re gone.
She’s fierce when she’s fighting, and even fiercer when she’s… well, doing this.
My hips buck, searching for more of that delicious pressure, my growing hard-on is aching for. This is crazy. This is wrong. This is absolutely the most intense thing I’ve done in years.
Her tender flesh is warm to the touch, and I allow my hand to trail up under her dress until I get to the sweet curve of her ass. Our mouths lock again, , a fevered tangle of need.
A second ago, we were at each other’s throats, and now we’re…
down each other’s throats? My head is swirling with reasons why this is the worst idea I’ve had in a while.
But my body isn’t complaining. My heart pounds and fire blazes through my veins.
I’ve wanted this from the moment I laid eyes on her, and now that I have a taste, there’s no way I’m stopping.
I dip my head, bringing my mouth to the tender spot on her neck below her ear.
Nipping at her flesh, I graze my teeth over her skin, tugging and sucking her in before gliding my tongue back over it.
She throws back her head, exposing more of herself to me.
I can’t resist. I trail soft nips along her slender neck until she’s rocking against me, pressing her warmth against my cock as her fingers dig into my back.
Her dress shifts with every movement, the soft fabric brushing against my skin.
Leaning into her, my hand moves to her waist, pulling her flush against me. The friction builds, and it feels like it’s building to a slow, steady burn. Her breath is shallow, catching on each kiss. Now I can grind even harder, that delicious friction hardening my cock even more.
I’m one breath away from undoing my pants when her body goes stiff in my arms. Something’s wrong .
“What is it?” I murmur, but she doesn’t answer. Her ear tilts toward the door, and I hear it too—voices on the other side, faint but clear. Her name. Someone's calling her.
“Shit.” Her expression shifts, panic sets across her face. She pushes away from me, scrambling to right herself, hands tugging at her dress and her hair. It's all fast, jerky movements.
My chest tightens, but I don't move. She's already pulling herself together, and it's clear she's not taking this lightly. I couldn’t care less if the world knows we kissed, but by the way she’s glancing toward the door, she does.
“It’s okay,” I try to reassure her, but she’s already out of my reach, stepping back, out of my arms.
“Shh. They’re coming.” Her voice a sharp whisper. She jerks away from my touch as if I’ve shocked her.
There are a few voices outside the door now. I stand still, watching the door handle jiggle. Someone yells they have the key.
Then the door swings open with a creak, revealing a small group of concerned faces.
At the front? Of course it’s Chloe’s dad. Does the universe hate me? My throat tightens.
His eyes flicker between Chloe and me. I offer a half-assed smile, but it feels weak. How do you explain this? Hell, I don’t know what to say. I’ve faced boardrooms full of angry shareholders with more confidence than this.
Well, this is awkward.
“You okay?”
His voice is low, eyes narrowing as he shifts his focus to me. I don’t have a great poker face, but somehow, I manage to look casual .
She doesn’t answer. Not a word. Instead, she moves past him in a rush, her steps quick and sharp, her body stiff with anger or… something else. I don’t know.
I watch her go, the air between us heavy, the scent of her still clinging to me. A moment ago, I was kissing her, feeling the heat of her skin. Now she’s gone, leaving only the taste of her on my lips and the ache of what’s not here anymore.