Page 107 of Golden Touch
Luckiest of all, we’re both naked. It wasn’t even my idea. Livia started stripping off my clothing the minute we reached this room. Now we’re kissing like the world might end before morning, and we’re both trying to leave this earth with our mouths fused together.
Honestly, it wouldn’t be a bad way to go. Her smooth hands are reacquainting themselves with every inch of my body. And if I’m lucky, I’ll wake up with fingernail scratches on my back.
But we haven’t reached that part of the evening. In spite of my body’s predictable enthusiasm for lying naked on top of Livia, I’m trying to slow my roll.
“You know…” I say between kisses. “That night last year at Speakeasy? I thought it would end like this. But the wait was worth it.”
“Good to know,” she says as her fingertips take another journey across my chest. It feels amazing. “Maybe itwasdestiny. Even the bartender remembered that night.”
It’s true. When we appeared together at the bar a couple hours ago, Archie had a good laugh. “Well, strike me pink! Didn’t expect to see you two turn up together. What’s the story?”
Livia had admitted to calling the cops on me the second time we met, and Archie had another laugh and comped us our drinks.
I expect we’ll be seeing a lot more of Archie now that Livia can socialize again.
Right now, though, her hands are socializing with my body. Her fingertips edge down to my belly, while I try my hardest not to feel ticklish.
I fail and end up twitching in a way that’s not exactly sexy.
She lets out a gleeful laugh. “Be honest—where else are you ticklish?”
“No place,” I lie. If she wants to tickle my feet or the backs of my knees, she’s going to have to figure it out for herself.
“Uh-huh,” she says, unconvinced. Smiling, she captures my face in her hands and sighs. “Nash, I just want to tell you that I’m sorry.”
“For tickling me?” I tease. “You should be. But please don’t apologize for the fire, Liv. We’ve been over this.”
“I wasn’t,” she says with a wistful smile. “I’m apologizing for trying to leave without saying goodbye. That was cowardly.”
Oh. “Well, you were…” I hesitate. “You were in some pain, and I get it. I was really mad at you for a minute there. But it’s been a while since life gave you a break, so I’m trying to understand.”
“But you give me all the breaks,” she says, mussing my hair. “Until I met you, I was pretty down on the human race. So thank you for that. And I’ll try not to panic the next time something goes wrong.”
“I know you will.” I kiss her jaw. “I’ve got your back, honey, and I know you’ve got mine, too. You can remind me of that when I go in to quit my job next week.”
Her eyes widen. “That sounds stressful. Will they be pissed?”
“Yeah, probably. It won’t be easy to replace me. That’s not ego; that’s a fact of the job being difficult.”
She kisses my shoulder. “Come on, it’s ninety percent the job, but ten percent ego.”
“What? No.” I laugh. “Baby, nobody can return an email like I can. You’ll see. Since we’ll be working together to rebuild the brewery, you’ll even get a chance to see me make a flow chart.” I grind my hips against hers. “It’sverysexy.”
“Oh, baby,” she whispers. “Show me your boxes and arrows. Talk flow-chart to me.”
“Step one,” I whisper. “Who’s theman? If Nash is the answer, then give me that mouth. Otherwise, go back to step one.”
She must be great with flow charts, too, because I get another bottomless kiss.
CHAPTER 47
A FEW MONTHS LATER
NASH
Pia, the architect for the brewery reconstruction, steps back so we can all see the laptop resting on the tailgate of Dad’s truck. “Let’s take a look inside the tasting room, shall we?”
We lean in as a crow caws at us from the branches of a nearby tree.
