Page 36 of The Heart Shot
“Thank you for coming tonight,” I said, voice quiet as I took another step. “And thank you for being so kind to my crazy aunt.”
“I meant what I said, Jameson. She’s a sweetheart.”
My body went still at the sound of my name on her lips, and a smile spread across my face. I dared another step closer.
“I had fun tonight,” I said, my voice dropping lower. I lifted a hand out of my pocket and lightly gripped one of hers, my thumb tracing a line across her skin as I added, “With you.”
Her eyes moved from where our fingers touched, up my chest until they landed on my face. A breath shuddered out of her as she nodded, and I didn’t miss the way she licked her lips. If I closed the distance between us, would she let me kiss her? Would she kiss me back, or would she shove me away and leave? I wished I could read her better, wished I knew her reasons for why she was so against dating.
Rocks shifted and crunched beneath my feet as I closed the last bit of space, and when she didn’t pull back, I took that as an invitation.
My lipsbarelyskimmed hers when Aunt Jo yelled across the field.
“Jameson, I need your help with this blasted register!”
Elsie sucked in a breath, pulling back, the connection broken.
Dang it, Aunt Jo. Your timing could not be worse.
Elsie’s eyes shimmered in the moonlight, and that beautiful pink color had returned to her cheeks. I forced my feet backward, my movements awkward and stiff, like a toy soldier.
“I’ll see you soon?”
Elsie nodded. Taking one last risk, I placed a lingering kiss on her cheek, like I had during the photoshoot. Her breath released in a shaky exhale. For all her attempts to make me think she wasn’t interested, to keep me at a distance, her body sure said otherwise.
“Drive safe, Elsie,” I murmured against her skin.
“Goodnight, Jameson.”
It took all of my self-control to turn and jog to the shop, when all I wanted was to stay by Elsie’s side and finish what I imagined would wreck me for all future kisses.
When I got inside, my aunt was leaning against the counter, a wry smile twisting her lips.
“Well, now. I think I need a cold shower after watching the two of you dance around each other all night.”
I huffed a laugh, scratching at the back of my head. “First of all, gross. Second, you’re delusional, Aunt Jo.”
“Anybody in their right mind would have felt the pull between you two.”
“And yet, you interrupted us multiple times.”
“Yearning makes the heart grow fonder,” she retorted, crossing her arms.
“I don’t think that’s how the saying goes.”
“Eh. It’s close enough.”
“Be that as it may, Aunt Jo, Elsie has some serious reservations about dating me, and I didn’t want anything to put more distance between us.” I blew out a breath, staring at the ceiling. “I really like this girl.”
She straightened. “You do?”
I winced, nodding. It wasn’t a bad thing that I liked Elsie. Itwasa bad thing, however, that she had so many walls up. That I might not get a chance to tunnel beneath them to uncover the real Elsie, and that she might push me away before things could go anywhere.
Aunt Jo studied me for a second. “I don’t remember the last time I saw you this smitten, Jamie. Heaven knows that girl is clearly smitten withyou.”
My stomach did a weird somersault. “What?”
Her grin stretched further. “I think it’s safe to say that girl likes you as much as you like her. Though, she sure made a valiant effort in trying to hide it.” Aunt Jo’s smile defied physical boundaries as it stretched even wider. “She’s a keeper, Jamie. I can already tell.”
