Page 614 of One More Kiss

“No.” I blinked. That was it? “No, I’m not. With anyone at all. Are you?” I asked carefully. I’d learned the hard way back in training that one person asking about a partner or spouse doesn't mean that they don’t have one waiting in the wings.

“No.” She was quiet for a moment. “I’m not usually a casual girl, Cole. But I want to see…” She blushed the cutest damn shade of crimson that stained her cheeks and trailed down her throat into her shirt.

“Josie.” I caught her chin between my fingers in a firm, gentle grip. She stared at me and stopped breathing as I leaned a little closer. “I really want to get coffee.”

A shower of giggles burst from her. “Damnit, Cole.” She slapped at me in a half-hearted gesture.

I laughed at the darkened sky, wrapping my arm around her shoulder. This time she didn’t flinch at the touch or remain stoic or panicked. Her arm pressed into my side, and she nestled her head on my shoulder.

“That’s my girl.” I said the word into the top of her head as we walked, not stopping to consider how much this would damn well hurt when I had to let her go. “Where did you go to college?”

“Columbia.”

“Damn New York.”

“It’s a bit of a hike.”

“And a good school, from what I’ve heard.” I nudged her toward the sushi place, grabbing the door.

“It was a great school.” Her eyes twinkled at me again.

“What?” A small dose of defensiveness hit me, along with her vanilla and raspberries scent. I leaned in to brush my lips over the top of her head. “You smell delicious.”

“You can’t say things like that!” She shushed me, rapping her knuckles against my shoulder.

“Course I can. Hungry?” I wanted to devour her on the spot. No girl had the right to be so damn gorgeous and edible at the same time.

“Starving. Come on.”

* * *

“I still haven’t hadthat coffee.” I should have been yawning, but talking to Josie ate the hours before midnight. Finally the chef kicked us out, bowing us to the door and locking it firmly behind us.

Josie stifled a giggle. “I think he might want to go home to bed.”

“I know the feeling.” I wound my arms around her, pulling her into my chest and spoke to her hair. “So do I.”

“Cole-” she hesitated, leaning into me, but didn’t start again.

“If you expect me to say I just want to go to sleep or sleep with you…I’d be lying.” I slipped my fingers through the pale ribbons of her hair, watching her silky locks curl around my fingers, how they slipped around my callouses. “And I’m not in the habit of lying.”

“Oh.” Josie lifted her gaze to meet mine. Her pink lips parted, sweet breath brushing my face.

“Oh?” I watched her. Playing games wasn’t my style, but the girl was a decent set of years younger than me, and I didn’t want to use that to take advantage of her. “Would you like to come with me? It’s just a hotel room, because I live a lot farther south. But it’s clean, and semi-decent. Or I can take you back to wherever you are, and say goodnight at the door.”

She considered me for a full moment, sucking her bottom lip between her teeth and popping it back, a little darker and more swollen than before.

I wanted to know what her mouth felt like beneath mine after I’d spent the next half a dozen hours kissing her. “If you say no, I’m good, Josie. I’ll never push you. Not on something like that.”

“I know.” She raised up onto her toes and brushed her lips against mine in the barest touch that evacuated every drop of blood from my body and set it straight to my cock. She smiled, her head tilted back. “That’s why I’m saying yes.”

It took every inch of restraint in me not to haul her against my truck and have her right there.

“Good.” I whispered. “Now please get in before I do something in public that will haunt us both for years.”

Giggling, she let me help her into the passenger side of my truck. I took the time to run my hands over her hips, tracing the outline of her tights beneath her skirt and back up her inner thighs a tiny bit. Just enough to tease the fuck out of her until I had the privacy for my own little discovery tour.

“Cole,” she squeaked, swatting at my hands. Her nails scored lightly at the back of my knuckle, and I bit back a groan of my own, slamming the door before we both took it too far. Austin was a decent size, but her crew wasn’t, and they’d be known everywhere by the end of the month. Giving her a bad rep straight up wasn’t my intention.

---