Page 25 of Ignite

“Whatever you want. Your shop, your work, your wall.”

“And no one would get confused between daddy’s work and mine.”

“There is that,” I agreed. “Now, how about I take you to the pub and beat you at darts?”

“Or you could buy me a meal and I’ll beat you at pool.”

“Do you have to argue about everything?” I asked, already looking for her jacket to hand over.

“One day, you’ll just learn to agree with me.”

An idea started forming, but it would take the help of the town to pull it off.

And, if the whole town got involved then Rylee would have to love it and forgive if I overstepped any boundaries, wouldn’t she?

“We can go in my car,” Rylee said as I helped her finish locking up.

“Oh, gee, thanks.” By now, my sarcasm came with a smile. Yes, the ute was taking longer than I had hoped to get back to me, but I didn’t have anywhere else to go and jogging into town had done wonders for my fitness. “What would I do without you?”

It hit us both at once.

An innocent comment and we stood frozen, just look at each other as if we were deer in the spotlight.

I didn’t want to do anything without her. No matter where I went in this town, I looked for Rylee. When Reece and I were spotting weights, it took all my self-control not to badger him with questions about Rylee and her life before I crashed into town.

But I hadn’t, because I wanted whatever was going on between us to be natural. If it took longer than one glance to get her into my bed, I didn’t care. It would be worth it, because it wouldn’t be just once.

I could settle down with Rylee. My mother would have loved her and my old man would accuse me of punching above my weight. She had the cutest smattering of freckles, could sass me all night and I’d still want to make her breakfast in the morning. But I’d already seen that most locals didn’t justhookupwith other locals. Guys like Trey and Korbin took their man-whoring out of town.

If Rylee and I got together, it would mean something.

As she kept looking at me, her eyes softened and mouth slightly parted.

I took a step closer, eyes locked together. She didn’t move back. I took another step, and another until I cupped her cheeks.

There was still time to back out, but her eyes remained fixed and when her beautiful pink tongue flicked across her lips, I needed to taste her.

One perfect, unplanned kiss.

She closed her eyes, but I didn’t. I wanted to drink in the whole Rylee experience because I sure as hell hadn’t been kissed like this, before.

I could taste her tears, and sensed her lack of recent experience. Her mouth and lips took a few seconds to mold to a new shape, a new man and so I backed off, just a little, allowing her the time to get used to the moment.

When she didn’t press, I swiped my tongue along her lips and she stepped in closer. She gripped the back of my head as I continued cupping her face. This had to be her dance and I let her lead. I wasn’t going anywhere and she was the one with the most to lose.

I didn’t want to hurt her.

I refused to be another man that could hurt her.

But this first kiss was more than I could have hoped for.

I felt her heart pounding and her hips gently pressed against mine before recoiling in surprise. I loosened my hold on her face but she continued to kiss me. It was as if she was making up for months or years.

For long minutes that could have been a new lifetime, we stood, just kissing. Without hands going everywhere, I could experience every breath, each inhale, each scent of her. She filled me. Her lavender fragrance mixed with the paint and dust fumes became my new favorite smell.

Rylee.

Just Rylee.

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