Page 115 of Party Favors

“You’ve proven your point,” I said with a laugh, and he came to a stop. He released my legs but not his arm around my back and we remained close together, unmoving. I pressed my lips against his neck and was rewarded with a sharp intake of breath and his hand flexing against me. I left a faint imprint of red lipstick behind but I didn’t say anything. It was like I had marked him as mine.

I wanted to mark up a whole lot more of him.

Given where my thoughts were headed, I was about to get a public indecency ticket if we stayed here any longer. “We should go,” I murmured against his skin. He smelled so good that I sighed.

After a few beats he nodded and then released his arm around my waist. He reached for the groceries and then my hand to hold it again. We resumed walking, even though my legs were feeling a bit wobbly.

I tried to think of a topic we could discuss that wouldn’t be about how much I wanted him to kiss me, something light and fun. I settled on, “You found all the pacifiers. You never did tell me what you had in mind as your prize.”

“What I have in mind and what’s actually going to happen are two very different things,” he said in a voice that made my blood instantly heat up.

I had the feeling that when we got to my place, despite our best intentions, there wasn’t going to be a whole lot of talking happening.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

We were both silent as we entered my apartment. He put the groceries on the counter while I took off my coat. He shrugged his off as well and I hung both on a hook near the door. I reminded myself that we were going one step at a time. Even if Max had already tumbled down the stairs, we should take each step carefully.

No rushing.

And then I completely negated my own plan.

I walked over to him and put my hand against his chest, steadying myself. His heartbeat was strong and steady beneath my palm. Then I leaned forward slightly to kiss him. I had never kissed him on the lips before—he had always initiated. It felt brave and bold, but I was still a bit hesitant and unsure of myself.

And he didn’t respond the way I might have expected. He kissed me back, but it was gentle and soft and undemanding. Delicious and heady as always, but there was a definite restraint.

Old me might have assumed that he didn’t want to kiss me, that I had forced myself on him, but I knew it was something else.

I stepped back and he was watching me carefully. Maybe waiting for my next move?

He had wanted to talk. I should let him do that. But I needed something to do so that I didn’t try to maul the poor man, who seemed a bit dubious about what was happening.

Which wasn’t like Max.

To be fair to him, though, we were in an entirely different situation than we’d ever been in before. We were alone, we wouldn’t be interrupted, and we had admitted that we had feelings for each other and wanted to be in a relationship.

Everything had changed.

I left the kitchen and walked across the living room, over to my alcove. To my surprise he stayed right behind me, like he didn’t want to be parted from me.

The sight of Max Colby standing next to my bed was my undoing. I wondered what he would do if I pushed him down on it.

“This is basically my bedroom,” I announced, probably unnecessarily.

“Interesting,” he said.

“Yep! This is where I sleep.” Now I was saying stupid things. Oh no.

“Just sleep?” he said with a tone that let me know he was kidding, but also that he might be open to exploring other activities besides sleep, and my revolutionary ovaries tried declaring war again.

“I’m going to get changed,” I told him, desperately needing a diversion. “Go over there.”

I pointed in the direction of the living room and he took a few steps back. I grabbed the dressing screen that I occasionally used as a room divider and placed it between us. I could have just gone into the bathroom to get changed, but I realized that I didn’t want to be in a different room, separated from him.

I didn’t even want this screen between us.

Turning, I grabbed a tank top and soft pants to change into. I slid my dress off but all of my attention was focused on Max. Therewas only this flimsy thing between us and he could have pushed it aside.

Or I could have.

---