Page 34 of One Small Spark
That’s always been the question.
I wipe down the bike, the silence in the shop deafening.
“I don’t understand you,” Wren finally says. It’s more accusation than anything else.
“The feeling’s mutual.”
“You’re so…infuriating.”
“You read my mind.”
“You’re acting like what happened in the alley?—”
My gaze snaps up to hers. “You mean when you kissed me?”
She jolts back, her eyes wide. “Youkissedme!”
I force a laugh. She can regret it if she wants, but she can’tpretend she didn’t instigate every second of what happened between us. “Keep telling yourself that.”
Cracks appear in her sassy façade, showing glimmers of heat underneath. Her cheeks bloom with a touch of embarrassment, too. No need for that when I’d kiss her again in a heartbeat.
I toss the greasy rag aside. I’m tired of dancing around.
Resting both hands on the front counter, I lean a fraction toward her. “You kissed me, Krause. So hard, I saw stars. The best kiss of my life.”
Her blue eyes darken, dropping their focus to my mouth. “The best?”
“Hands down.” I always knew it would be, when we got there. The rest… “I can’t say I’m flattered you agreed to go out with another guy a few hours later.”
She throws her hands on her hips, stepping closer to the counter between us, the spark back in her eyes. “What was I supposed to do when you were acting like my social life’s so pathetic I’ve only got elderly ladies for company?”
A growl of frustration rushes out of me. “I was asking you out. You were supposed to go out withme.”
She stares, her mouth working, but no sound comes out. How could she have no idea? I didn’t think anyone could be worse at picking up on romantic signals than I am. Unless she’s been actively rejecting them this entire time.
“You didn’t—” Wren stares like she’s seeing me for the first time. She gives her head a firm shake, then crosses her arms. “That was a terrible way to ask someone out.”
“Apparently.”
In hindsight, I agree. My impulse was to step right in like I did with the guy at the bar and tell Rhett to back off. Make it clear Wren’s spoken for. Beat my fists on my chest, hoot like a gorilla, andshout, “Mine.”
Whatever Wren thinks of me, I’m not actually that prehistoric.
And, despite that phenomenal kiss in the alley, she’s not actually mine.
“Do you really?—”
Wren cuts herself off when a man pushes through the door and heads for our selection of road bikes. She looks from him to me as if remembering where we are. The man slides his hand over seats and handles, clueless that he’s interrupted anything.
Wren and I stare at each other for another full minute. I’ve made myself pretty clear, but her confusion might as well come with a giant neon sign attached.
“I guess I should go.” Her brow furrows deeper along with her frown, as if she’s not sure she should go at all.
“See you, Krause.” I keep my voice gentle. This isn’t a dismissal. If I didn’t have a customer—and she didn’t have a date tonight—I would have so much more to say.
“Yeah. I’ll…see you.” She turns like she’s moving through molasses, heading for the door. Before she pushes through, she looks back one last time, that stunned expression still on her face.
I’ll be thinking about that look all night.
