Page 67 of The Apple Tree

He laughed, plucking a handsaw from the wall before facing me. “I love your interpretation of the Bible. Your father would be proud of your vast knowledge.”

“Thank you.” I grinned. “Nothing makes me happier than making my dad proud. Now, are you going to kiss me?”

Kyle eyed me for a second before shaking his head. “Your dad will be waiting for us.”

I shrugged. “It’s just a kiss.”

“It’s never just a kiss,” he said without looking directly at me.

I stepped closer until my boots tapped his. “Just one.”

He grunted a laugh and pointed his attention past me as if someone was there. “Evil.”

I pried his fingers from the saw handle, and it fell to the ground. When his attention returned to me, he grabbed my head and kissed me.

It was onelong,hard kiss.

It’s how I imagined a man should kiss a woman—passionately, confidently, unforgettably.

And boy, was iteverunforgettable.

He had strong hands that cradled my jaw like he owned me as his fingers splayed along my neck. All I wanted was to experience how he would touch and manipulate the rest of my body if given the chance.

When he released me, his mouth bent into a sexy smile. He knew what he did to me. After he retrieved the saw from the ground and took several steps toward the door, I dropped to my knees. He peered over his shoulder, halting his steps.

“You’re slowly torturing me.” I pressed a fist to my chest, gesturing a dagger to the heart.

Kyle wasn’t five, but his blue eyes sparkled with an innocent wonder when he gave me a once-over. It’s how Josh looked at him.

That wonder morphed into something else, but I couldn’t read the emotion behind it.

“I’m in uncharted territory. You have to be patient with me,” he said.

I climbed to my feet and hurried after him. “I’m not a patient person, but I’m working on it.”

“I wasn’t patient at your age either.” He opened the door, and we headed toward the creek. “Eve, you must be careful, falling to your knees like that.”

“I’ve spent many hours praying. My knees are used to it,” I said.

He chuckled. “That’s not what I meant. I’m not worried about your knees.”

“Then what’s your point?” I glanced over at him.

“When a guy kisses you as I did, and you fall to your knees, he doesn’t think your knees are weak; he thinks you’re suggesting something else. It’s false advertising, Eve. You need to be more careful.”

“Something—” The light bulb went on in mypretty little head. “You thought I was going to …” I bit my lip and looked at him again.

He kept his focus on the grassy path, trying to control his grin while he shrugged.

“I haven’t. I mean, I would. I think. I’ll look into it.” I tapped a finger on my chin.

He lost control and snorted, pressing a fist to his mouth.

“What? Stop laughing at me.” I bumped into him, and he stumbled a few steps to the side.

“Sorry. I wasn’t expecting that reaction,” he said.

“What reaction? You assumed I would be more experienced?”

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