Page 56 of Lucky
“I’ll try my best,” she quips and then turns to face me fully.“You always this smooth?”
“Nope,” I admit.“Only with you.”
“I don’t want the night to be over,” she says, and my heart slams against my breastbone.
“What do you want to do?”
Winnie’s gaze slides back to the restaurant.I flick a glance that way, but the women are gone.She’s quiet for a beat and then her attention is back on me.“Want to come to my house for a nightcap?”
“Is that something I have to wear on my head?”
“No.Just an antiquated way of asking you to come into my house for a drink after a date, which may or may not lead to something more than conversation.I honestly don’t know what we’ll do when we get there.”
I don’t know either and don’t have a single expectation.I mean… I know what I hope will happen.
But I won’t push for it.
“Okay,” I murmur.“Let’s go to your place and at a minimum, have a drink and keep talking.”
Winnie smiles and starts to climb in the passenger seat but hesitates.She turns partially my way and next thing I know, her hands are circling my neck and she’s pulling me down for a kiss.It’s the first time she’s initiated one and I’m here for it.
There’s no hesitation.No wondering if it’s the right move.The city lights stretch behind her and she’s warm in my arms, her lips parting against mine like she’s been waiting for this all night.
The kiss deepens, her hands sliding under my coat to grip my sweater.Her mouth moves against mine and our tongues meet, a tiny moan bubbling free from her.
She pulls back breathless, looking up at me with bleary eyes.“This isn’t a normal date.”
“No,” I agree, brushing my fingers along her jaw.“But it feels real, right?”
She nods once.“Yeah.It does.”
“Then that’s all that matters.”
I kiss her again, slow and deep, until the air goes hot between us despite the chill.I don’t extend it because otherwise we’ll stay out here all night kissing.“Come on… let’s get you home.We won’t make it a late night as you have to be up early.”
CHAPTER 18
Winnie
The second Iunlock my front door and step inside, Buttermilk starts thumping his back leg.I move quickly to his pen to unlatch the gate and he barrels toward Lucky like a fuzzy cannonball.He circles his ankles once before pausing dramatically in front of the man—sniffs his shoe—and promptly drops a load of pellets right on top of it.Because they’re dry and round, most of them roll right off onto the floor.
“Oh my God,” I groan, mortified.“Buttermilk, no.Not the shoes.”
Lucky looks down, blinking.“Did he just…?”
“Poop?On your shoe?Yes.”I scoop the rabbit into my arms, where he has the audacity to look smug.“Sometimes he likes to assert dominance over men who are interested in me.”
Lucky grins.“If this is a dominance thing, I have questions about your ex.”
That makes me laugh.I carry Buttermilk back to his corner pen and lock him in.“Bad, bad rabbit,” I scold gently.“You’re in time-out.”
His nose twitches as we stare at each other and I’m the first to look away.Lucky already has a paper towel to scoop up the little nuggets.
“No!”I exclaim in horror.“You don’t have to do that.”
“I don’t mind,” he says, depositing the poop and paper towel into the garbage can.
I grimace.“But no one should have to pick up poop when they’re a guest in someone’s home.”
