Page 35 of A Brush with Love
He moved toward her and she spun into him, gripping onto his coat for balance. “I love the snow,” she said with a serene smile.
“Really? I hadn’t noticed.”
Dan took her fingers from his coat and chafed them between his palms, trying to warm them. He brought his mouth to their clasped hands and blew hot air against them, enjoying the familiarity of the gesture, the closeness it made him feel to her. He glanced at Harper’s face and noticed her parted lips, the reckless glint in her eyes.
“What is it?” he asked into their hands.
“You’re dangerous,” she said simply.
He cocked his head. “How so?”
She looked at him, her eyes traveling over his face, then slid one of her hands from his grasp and brought her fingertips to his temple. She stared at the spot where she touched him. Harper dragged her fingers down along the angle of his chin, causing his breath to catch.
“You distract me. It’s like everything else dissolves away with you,” she said, her index finger tracing the shape of his lips. “It’s different.”
His heart hammered in his chest, threatening to burst out andlay itself at her feet. He wanted to nibble her finger, take it in his mouth and kiss it. Claim it.
“Good different?” He couldn’t hide the self-conscious tone of his question, but he darted out his tongue, giving her finger a playful lick. She giggled and wrapped both of her arms around his neck, swaying them from side to side in a rhythmless dance.
“Hmmm, I don’t know,” she teased, a tipsy smile dancing across her lips.
Dan dropped his forehead to hers. He could smell the beer on her breath and the snow on her skin, all mixing with that sweet, floral musk that was uniquely Harper.
He brought his mouth a whisper from hers, every nerve in his lips hyperaware of the unbearable closeness. “Can I help you figure it out?”
He moved his lips even closer, so close it seemed impossible to hold the distance, the heat between their skin turning to fire. But he wouldn’t kiss her on the lips—not yet; he was saving that.
But he’d be damned if he wasn’t going to get a taste. He moved his lips to the corner of her smile and pressed them against her, dragging them along the beautiful line of her jaw. His mouth traced the curve of her throat, and he touched his tongue to the spot where her pulse pounded. Harper’s breathing hitched and Dan smiled against her.
“Any clarity?” he asked, his lips never leaving her skin.
She swallowed heavily before giving a quick shake of her head.
“No? Let’s see.”
He repeated the path up the opposite side of her neck, his lips dragging delicately against the softness of her skin. Dan felt Harper arch into him, and when he reached her ear, he gave the small lobe a playful nibble.
“Any closer to figuring it out?” he whispered, placing his hands on her hips and pulling her closer, the pressure of her body driving him wild. She shivered.
“N-no,” she said hoarsely. Her chest rose and fell with jagged breaths.
Dan smiled at her effort. He breathed her in once more, then pulled his head away sharply.
“That’s a shame,” he said, working to hide his smile at the small guttural noise she let out. He moved to disentangle himself from her arms, but Harper clutched at him, stuttering in protest.
Before she could get any words out, a voice cut through their haze.
“There you are,” Indira said, stepping out of the brewery. “We called a ride. Are you—” She stopped in her tracks when she saw them, causing Lizzie to run into her. “Oh, sorry. Let’s… we’ll…” Indira whipped around blindly and crashed back into Lizzie, who was blatantly staring.
“You go, Dental Dan,” Lizzie said in awe as Thu and Alex joined the pack.
Harper dropped her arms and stepped away. Dan fought the instinct to pull her back and tell everyone to fuck off. He liked Harper’s friends, he really did, but they were some of his least favorite people in that moment.
Thu eyed them closely. “Fun night?” she asked, the corner of her lip twitching.
“Yep,” Harper responded, looking at the ground. “You said you called a ride?”
“Yeah, it’s pulling up now,” Indira said, eyes bouncing between Harper and Dan.
