the cash. I want to see what it feels like to do something completely frivolous, and I want to do it with you. Maybe it’s not much considering everything you’ve done for me, but I want to do this for you.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat as I met Harlow’s eyes, and noticed the sincerity in her gaze.
I couldn’t remember the last time someone else had insisted on paying for anything when they were with me. So just the fact that Harlow had insisted, and was willing to toss out her hard-earned savings to pay for our dinner, meant a lot to me.
If she was really determined to try one of those restaurants, it would have cost her a lot less to just go by herself.
“Dinner for one is cheaper,” I joked.
She shook her head. “I’d never go without you. They’re your favorites.”
“We’ll see,” I said vaguely, desperate to change the subject.
Her face fell. “You don’t want to go?”
Shit! Now I’d gone and thrown her offer back in her face. The last thing I wanted to do was hurt her.
I was just totally inept at dealing with a woman as sweet as Harlow who wanted to do something for me. Just because…she gave a shit about me.
I was used to taking care of her, and I was a hell of a lot more comfortable with that.
“I do want to go. I’m just not crazy about the idea of you paying, but we’ll work it out. Tell me what else you want,” I acknowledged hoarsely as I wrapped my fingers around a lock of her hair, and tested the texture.
Huge mistake! It felt like silk and sin, and I gritted my teeth to stop myself from giving in to the temptation to bury both my hands into those beautiful curls.
“I want to tell you something,” she said in a sexy whisper.
“Tell me.”
“I told you I was attracted to you when you asked me out two years ago, but I never told you that it never went away.” She wrapped her arms around my neck. “So if you’re still attracted to me, I want you to kiss me just once, so I can see what it feels like.”
And…my fucking heart just stopped beating.
I searched her expression, wondering if she was messing with me, but all I saw was a woman who really looked like she wanted me to kiss her.
My heart restarted with an enormous jolt.
If I was still attracted to her?
Christ! Didn’t she already know that I wanted to kiss her more than I wanted to suck in my next breath?
Just once, my ass.
If I got one taste of Harlow, I was going to be well and truly fucked.
She started to drop her arms as she said, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked for that. Attractions do go away, and—”
I grasped her wrists as I growled, “Don’t!”
I pulled her arms around my neck again, and gave in to the temptation to bury my hands into her hair. “This is going to happen a hell of a lot more than once, sweetheart,” I warned her before I tilted her head up, and lowered my mouth to hers.
My plan was to make this first kiss a sweet, tender embrace, something that Harlow might always remember as romantic.
Those plans went completely off the rails when she let out a low moan against my lips, and tightened her arms around my neck.
After that, there was nothing but the rampant desire flowing between the two of us, and the need to get as close as we could get.
She threaded her hands into my hair, and I relished the feel of her nails against my scalp.
I realized the two of us were literally devouring each other outside, in my brother’s driveway, but Harlow was so damn sweet I couldn’t seem to stop.
I am not going to fuck her on the hood of my damn vehicle like a horny teenager!
Harlow deserved a hell of a lot better than that shit.
I finally tore my mouth from hers, and both of us came up panting.
Harlow looked stunned when she finally opened her eyes.
“Jax,” she whispered. “What in the hell just happened?”
“We just found out what it would feel like if we kissed,” I told her tightly. “And it was fucking mind-blowing.”
I leaned down to give her a more affectionate, sweeter kiss…until I was distracted by a quick flash of light.
And then another.
And another.
“Mr. Montgomery, is this one of your one-date women?”