Page 88 of Bountiful
And Iached.
The music swelled, and his eyes fell shut. He kissed my forehead so tenderly I wanted to die. Because moments like this didn’t last. The brew of music and sex-cider that had claimed my better judgement was obviously affecting his, too. I forgot to care about eyes on us. I put my head on his shoulder and let him pull me closer—just for a little minute.Maybetwo.
He turned his chin and kissed the corner of mymouth.
That’s when reality set in. “You can’t kiss me here,” I saidquickly.
“Then wherecanI kiss you?” His voice was pure smoke, and my tummy tightened upinstinctively.
Thankfully, the song ended just then. I stepped back and lifted my chin, looking him straight in the eye. “I should go home. My mother has had a long day.” That was really just an excuse. My baby girl was undoubtedly asleep in her crib. My mom’s feet were probably up on the coffee table as she read one of her romance novels onBenito’ssofa.
He raised his cayenne-pepper eyebrows. “You’re bailing on Audrey’s wedding before the cakeiscut?”
“You bet,” I said with more cheer than I felt inside. “I did my duty, and now I’m going to play the mom card and go homeearly.”
“Then I’ll walk you to your car, since I’m the one who knows where it is.” Dave took my elbow and guided me off the dance floor. “But you’ll have to help me find myrental.”
“Of course.” I let Dave steer me away from the festivities. I could feel Alec’s eyes boring a hole in my back as we walked past where he stood drinking a beer and talkingtoMay.
But Iignoredhim.
By the time I found Audrey and Griff to wish them well, it was fully dark. “You’re parked over there,” I said to Dave. “I’llshowyou.”
“Uh-oh.” He pointed to his rental car beside the farmhouse. “Looks like that Rav4 is parking me in. Don’t suppose you know whose carthatis?”
“Oh, crap.” I had no idea. “Everyone in Vermont drives a Rav4. I’m sosorry.”
I stopped and looked back at the wedding in full swing. The only way to sort it out would be to write down the license plate and ask the band’s front man to make an announcement. And I didn’t want to interrupt the festivities to announce mydeparture.
“What if I drop you at home?” I asked instead. “Tomorrow morning I could get my brother to retrieve your car.”While I run the bakery single-handedly. The next ten days were going to bebrutal.
“Sure,” Dave said. “Bess has a rental car. She can just run me back heretomorrow.”
“You guys have done so much already.” I sighed. Today I’d added Dave and Bess to the long list of people I owed. But, hey—what wastwomore?
Because Dave had arrived after the ceremony, my car was literally the last one in a long line on the gravel road. He bleeped the locks, but then stalled in his tracks, his hand on my back. “Wow. See that?” His voice was full of awe. He’d lifted his chin skyward and was gazing at thestars.
Of all the details I’d memorized about Dave, I’d somehow forgotten this—his love of the starry sky. Instead of looking at the stars, too, I watched him. Fascination softened his features. It was hard to keep up my cynical view of men in general and Dave specifically as I watched his gaze dance around thesummersky.
Eventually he caught me staring. “What?” he whispered, the corners of his mouth quirking into asmile.
“You’re just…” I paused, because there was no way to finish that sentence that didn’t reveal the hold he still hadonme.
“I’m just what?” He squared his body toward mine and took my face in both of hishands.
And maybe weddingsdidmake people crazy. That’s the only excuse I could think of for why I leaned forward and kissed the corner of his mouth. Just a sweet little touch of my lipsagainsthis.
He made a sexy grunt of surprise and pulled me in toward his body. When our chests collided, he angled his head and kissed me for real. His mouth was salty sweet and his kiss so tender that my heart expanded in mychest.
Big hands spread out across my back, their grip possessive. He took over the kiss, his bossy tongue coming out to playwithmine.
Oh, damn. Why did I have to like it somuch?Why?
On a groan, I broke it off. But instead of stepping back, I put my cheek against his shoulder and sighed. And the bastardhuggedme.
Naturally, I liked that a wholelot,too.
“Weddings make people crazy,” I mumbled into his collar. I thought he’d laugh, but he just ran a kind hand down my hair. He smelled wonderful. Like pine needles and clean shirts. “Time to go home,” I said a little morefirmly.
