Page 71 of Love to Hate You

He looked down at her shrink-wrapped around him and decided that while he’d love to kiss her, this was enough. Her trust was a treasure to hold close to his vest.

“What happens when the project is done?” she asked quietly. “I mean, when the store opens up, what happens to you?”

“I’ll stay on for a few months to make sure it’s solid, and then I’ll head back to London and see if I can breathe life into my own business.”

She sat up straight, and he could see the shock on her face. “You own your own business?”

“A robotics company that specializes in building medical equipment.”

“Was it successful?”

“It still is. I hired a good pal from university to be president in my absence. I’m still CEO and am very hands on from a distance.”

“Where do you find the time?”

“I don’t get much sleep.”

“You gave up your country and business for a dad who sounds like a jerk?”

Even to himself he sounded resigned. “What was I supposed to do? What would you have done?”

She shrugged. “The same thing.”

“Look at us, a pair who would do anything for family.”

“So the Grinch does have a heart.”

“Don’t mistake my single-mindedness for the lack of a heart. It’s just the single-mindedness wins out most of the time.”

“Funny, my heart is always running the show.”

“I know,” he whispered, taking her hand once again. “It’s why I pulled back yesterday. I don’t want to mislead you so that when I leave you feel blindsided.”

She laced their fingers together. “I know who you are, Wes. And I know what you’re capable of, even if you don’t.”

His Grinch-heart didn’t just grow two sizes that day, it nearly exploded out of his chest. He soaked up her praise like he was a dying man in the desert, desperate for a drop of acceptance. A sliver of connection. And she was giving him that without expecting anything in return.

It had been a long time since he’d had someone who had that amount of unconditional faith in him.

“And what is that?”

“You have the world in your hands, Wes. Whatever direction you choose to go you will find success. You just have to have the courage to make a decision that is good for your soul and not just the bottom line.”

“Like this?” he asked, cupping her chin and tilting it up so he could see her face when he lowered his mouth. He went slowly, giving her time to pull away. And just when he thought he was going to make contact—Houston we have a problem—she said, “Wait.”

He prepared himself for the “too little too late” lecture, but instead she took off her Cone of Shame and set it on the bench next to her. Then she wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered against his lips, “Even though it would make for a funny meet-cute, this moment calls for something that doesn’t fit into a love guide. You deserve more than a Cone of Shame kiss. You deserve this...”

Before he knew what was happening, her arms had tightened around his neck and her lips were on his. Soft and tentative, as if she wasn’t sure what his reaction would be. If he was into this. So he RSVPed immediately by threading his fingers through her hair to cradle the back of her head, while the other hand went around her back, pulling her so close she was practically on his lap.

That’s when the kiss went from a sweet get-to-know-you to volcanic. The blast of chemistry and sexual awareness was heard around the world. She tasted minty from the gum she’d chewed and felt as warm as the sunny breeze.

She dug her fingers into his hair and tugged a little while she gently nipped at his lower lip. Just enough to let him know that beneath the sweet bookstore owner was a woman who liked a little kink when it came to romance. Wes wasn’t normally a kink kind of guy, but with Summer he’d be whatever she needed. Especially when it felt like this.

He wasn’t sure how long the kiss lasted—it was a single kiss that didn’t even give them time to take a breath. Like they needed each other more than they needed oxygen. Then her hands were on the move, palms sliding down his chest, over his pecs and lower, to his abs.

“What happened to crossing the line?’ she said against his lips.

“Love, we crossed the line that night in your store when you told me to get my ass out of your shop. I was just in denial.”

---