Page 61 of The Reluctant Flirt

He shrugged. “It may be backordered so I’ll order extra and people can bring them home.”

Sierra took in a deep breath. “Okay. Umm, remember when you mentioned those sea turtle—”

“Soaps? Yep. Want me to get them, too?”

She couldn’t begrudge him the win. “Yes, please. I thought that was a great idea.”

Sierra prepared herself for the smug satisfaction she deserved but instead, the man practically beamed with happiness. “Thanks. I think Brick will really like it, too.”

And that’s when it hit her. He may have wanted to spend time with her, but Kane was actually enjoying being involved in each step. Curiosity stirred. “Did you ever plan events for your company?” she asked.

Those tapered fingers danced across the phone. The scent of clove and spice hit her nostrils and she fought the urge to take a bigger breath; to gather his distinctive fragrance into her lungs so she’d have it later. Now, she was the one blushing from the intimate thought.

“No, we had people on staff for that. I guess I never got to throw a party for anyone before. It’s more fun than I thought.”

Her heart stopped, then beat faster. She kept her tone neutral. “Hmm, no birthday or holiday parties for friends or family?”

“Nope.”

He didn’t seem concerned from the lack of that experience. “What about you? Do you like having parties thrown for you or no?”

“Never had those either.” He looked up and flashed his famous grin. “I saw the way Aspen ripped open your gift. She seems to love surprises.”

Sierra tucked away the facts he’d shared to analyze later. “Oh, yeah, she’s like a kid when it comes to that stuff.”

“But not you.”

She tilted her head. He said it like a statement, not a question. “I’m not big on them, no. What gave it away?”

A shrug lifted his shoulders. “You were surprised too many times before.” His gaze lifted to drill into hers. “And most of them weren’t good. Makes sense you’d try to avoid those experiences again.”

Her defenses shattered. His words cut right through bullshit and told her he saw all the broken pieces. And that he didn’t care. Hell, he was there for all of it, and suddenly, Sierra needed to give him back something.

“I’m going to tell Aspen tonight. About us.”

Kane stilled. The connection between them tightened, burned, sparked. His direct stare ripped away the barriers and dove deep. They both knew it was a turning point and there would be no going back. His voice was a rough mix of velvet and gravel. “You sure?”

No. But she nodded. “Yeah. It’s time.”

His muscles relaxed. Emotion flickered over his carved features, but quickly smoothed out. “Good. I’ll tell Brick. I’d say we could talk to them together but I know you’d rather do it in private with Aspen.”

Sierra winced. “I’ll need some time to explain why I’ve kept this from her. Better to have our privacy. Sisters can be complicated.”

“I can imagine.”

She cleared her throat, not sure what to do with this sudden intimate moment. “Well, I think we’re set and can call Alicia back in.”

“Sierra?” She cocked her head. “Thank you.”

There was no need to pretend. They both knew she’d made the first step admitting they were moving toward something together. If he’d been arrogant or pushy, it would’ve been easy to pull back or run. Instead, his green eyes glittered and her hand trembled and everything inside of her softened into surrender.

“How are we doing?” Alicia chirped, breaking the sacred moment.

Kane didn’t break eye contact, gripping her gaze like a tight hold, taking charge. “We’re fine.”

“That’s great! I’m happy to sit with you and go over all the choices you both—”

They didn’t respond. Just kept staring at each other while the sexual tension hummed and sang wildly in the air.

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