Tag to be happy with whomever he chose as his bride. Though she wasn’t sure she was ready for such a big commitment for herself, in the back of her mind, her subconscious was waving her hand, saying, Pick me! Pick me!
They dropped into silence again, remaining there until they arrived at her house in Austin. Leslie didn’t wait for Tag to open the door for her. She pushed it open and dropped down out of truck. By that time, Tag had rounded the front and held out his hand to her.
She took it and let him hold it all the way up to the door. It felt right she didn’t let go, even when she handed him the key to her door. She held onto his free hand as he unlocked her front door.
Holding his hand felt so right that she didn’t want to let go. When Tag leaned down to kiss her cheek, Leslie turned her face at the last second.
Their lips met.
She leaned into him, wanting to know what it felt like to be kissed thoroughly by this man, to be held in his arms and pressed up against his body.
His hands swept down her back and pulled her close, their hips touching, the hard evidence of his desire nudging her belly.
She’d thought kissing Tag would feel weird, somehow a betrayal of her love for Randy. But it didn’t feel that way at all. It felt good, hot and addictive. She couldn’t get enough.
Leslie wrapped her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss, opening to him.
Tag’s tongue slipped past her teeth to sweep the length of hers, caressing hers in long, sensuous thrusts.
What had started as curiosity had morphed into frenetic lust that couldn’t be satisfied while they were on her front porch and fully dressed. She wanted to be naked with this man.
That thought entering her head served as a splash of ice water on her senses. She pulled free, her heart beating hard, her breathing ragged. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.”
Tag reached for her. “Leslie—”
“No, it was my fault.” She shook her head. “I…I…have to go.” She dove past him into her house, slamming the door behind her.
She leaned against it, twisting the lock, without looking back. Not so much to keep him out, but to keep her from opening the door and flinging herself into his arms.
What had she done?
A knock sounded. “Leslie. Open the door,” Tag called out softly.
She shook her head. “No,” she whispered.
“Leslie, I’m not sorry that happened,” Tag called out. “I’ve wanted to kiss you all night long.”
Tears filled her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. Her thoughts were a mess of what she wanted, what she’d had and how the hell she could unravel the two to make a future for herself.
“I’ll pick you up tomorrow,” Tag said. “And, Leslie, everything is going to be okay.”
“How can it be?” she murmured.
She heard his truck door slam and the engine start. When she was sure he’d gone, she left the door and walked through the house she’d shared with Randy, touching the photographs of the two of them together, staring at the one of all three of them. Finally, she entered her bedroom, toed off her cowboy boots, pulled one of Randy’s old flannel shirts from the closet and wrapped it around her shoulders.
He wasn’t there to tell her everything would be all right. Tag was doing that now. He wasn’t there to tell her that it was okay to kiss Tag. She had to come to grips with that on her own.
All she knew at that moment was that she missed Randy and hadn’t wanted to quit kissing Tag.
Man, was she messed up.
Chapter 9
Tag had headed to his penthouse apartment in downtown Austin after dropping off Leslie at her house. He was so wound up from her kiss, he couldn’t begin to settle down and sleep. Instead, he’d poured himself a whiskey and sat in his recliner, staring at a photo of himself, Leslie and Randy.
“Randy, if you didn’t want me to have her, you shouldn’t have left us so soon.” Tag tipped his glass, swallowing a long draught of the clear amber liquid. His gaze shifted to Leslie, with her sandy-blond hair, gray eyes and laughing smile. She was everything he needed and more. She made him want to be a better person.
He wanted to be with her, to take care of her and make her happy. She deserved all the happiness in the world.