Chapter 19 #2
His lips close over mine. Gentle and purposeful at first. Heady enough that I'm lost to everything.
To him and the feel of his lips. The tenderness and warmth as he deepens the kiss, and I realize it's everything a kiss should be.
Breath and touch and racing heartbeats. Gentleness and caring and all things sweet and tantalizing.
One of his hands tangles in my hair, his thumb in that tender spot just beneath my ear, rubbing softly. Adding to the moment and the rush and the—
Pop!
The loud noise startles me, and I jerk back, ending our contact, wide-eyed and totally bamboozled by what had just happened.
Dani's "Oh, no!" and giggles from the living area sound, and I realize one of the balloons has popped. And that they're back inside the house. Mere feet away.
All of them.
Bronwyn says something about the confetti.
Gabe says…something. I don't know. I don't care. I just—
"Lindsey…"
All I can do is stare up at Kace, torn between the reality of my situation and wanting to chuck it all and kiss him again. And maybe a few more times for good measure.
"Lindsey, I'm sorry," he says in a low voice, looking wrecked. "I shouldn't have done that. I regret— I made a huge mistake."
He looks angry and contrite and just as shook as I am.
"It won't happen again. I'm sorry, sweet—" He breaks off. "Lindsey, I'm sorry. That was a mistake. It won't happen again."
Sorry. Such a simple word for something so big and meaningful.
To take a beautiful thing and make it ugly and hurtful.
But I've been down this road before, haven't I?
I've already been someone's regret. And I have enough self-esteem left to get mad at always finding myself here.
"It's fine. I mean, it's not fine, but—we should go in there with the others. "
"Lindsey," he says in that growly, decadent voice no man should have.
"It was just a kiss," I say breezily. "Forget it ever happened. I have." I nod to prove just how unbothered by him and his words I am and then sidle by him and practically run from the kitchen, a wide, fake smile pinned to my trembling lips.
Because, really. It was just a kiss.
Between two adults.
Friends.
Just a brief lapse of judgment.
A moment now lost to the chaos of the day and the fact I cannot be the woman that catches feelings for a man while carrying another man's baby. Especially when he's technically my boss and my home.
I refuse to make the same mistake twice.
An hour later, the girls' party is in full swing.
Well, as much as it can be with mostly all adults in attendance at a child's and teen's birthday party.
Dani's little friend is as adorable as she is.
It's the same little girl from the day Dani broke the rules and lost her bike privileges, and the two are inseparable as they play.
Giggles abound throughout the house, bringing smiles to the adults' faces from the sheer sweetness of it.
My mind is racing from the aftermath of Kace's kiss and his immediate regret. I'm trying hard not to be hurt by the instantaneous flipping of the off switch post-kiss, but even though I understand why he regrets kissing me… Yeah, it stings.
Because it was a kiss. A really good kiss. The kind that make first kisses memorable in a good way, not a bad one. Scale of one to ten? Twenty. Easy-peasy oh-so pleasy.
Except now? Our first kiss is both good in that it was everything a first kiss should be—and horrifically bad in how it ended.
I'm determined to muddle through, though. I have a party to host, and thankfully the nausea doesn't seem to be as bad right now. So I'm going to enjoy myself while I can.
We sing "Happy Birthday" to Dani and Madi and watch as they blow out their candles, cheering and clapping.
"Daddy, want to know my wish?" Dani asks.
I watch as Kace smiles at his precocious little girl, and my heart trips before I give myself a good scolding. We are not doing that.
"Sure. What's your wish?"
Dani turns her precious little face toward me and grins.
"I wished Lindsey could live with us forever!"
My gaze shoots to Kace, and I see the frown instantly marring his handsome face. The shift from amused parent to…worried concern. It's another blow to my already abused system, and I ignore Bronwyn and the others watching me and taking in the scene.
Inhaling, I manage to smile. I think. "That's a nice wish, Dani, but I think you'll change your mind once your dad is all better."
Dani immediately shakes her head and opens her mouth to speak, but I quickly grab a knife and the paper plates. "Let's get this cake cut for our guests so you and Madi can open presents."
Thankfully that shifts the tide, and I breathe a sigh of relief.
Bronwyn gifts Dani the beloved llama stuffy Dani wanted so badly along with a gift card so she can shop the bookstore and pick something special, and I give her the llama-sized baby doll outfits I found online, along with a few llama books.
Hey, when that's all the birthday girl wants, that's all she gets.
Well, that and the family trip to Bald Head Island from Kace, where Dani gets to ride the long ferry and eat wherever she wants.
As for Madi, I got her a particular accessory to go along with Kace's present, and I can't wait to see the unsuspecting girl's reaction.
Madi thanks Bronwyn several times for the book series she talks about when she does talk. Bronwyn also added a gift card from London's Lattes so Madi could get her froufrou coffee fix on her way to work.
"And now your next to last present," Kace says to his niece.
To me, he nods and I grab the oversized bag stuffed with tissue paper. Madi eyes me a little warily, like she isn't sure what to make of the words.
"Next to last?"
"This one's from me," I tell her. "But you can't open it until Kace gives you his."
She looks even more confused, which is kind of the point.
"Come on, Mads. Follow me," Kace says. "Lindsey will bring the bag."
I smile at a very curious Madi and wave my hands for her to get up and follow her uncle.
Madi gives me another searching stare, but I see the spark of excitement light the girl's eyes before she curbs it and the smile trying so hard to break free.
The poor girl is bracing herself, trying not to get too excited.
I urge Dani and her friend out the door ahead of me.
We follow Madi out to the carport with Kace leading the charge on his crutches and waiting on us by the time we all make it out the door.