table, and Josh chose that moment to do the same. The backs of our hands brushed together, and the feelings I’d come to expect from his touch bloomed warm within me.
He stilled, and I stilled, and we let our hands stay touching. An inspirational summer song came up on the CD.
“Dance?” Josh softly asked.
Friends, I told myself.
“In this?” I asked, trying to make a joke. What I really wanted to say was: yes, yes, yes!
“I won’t forget you’re a woman.” He turned his hand so he was holding mine. Then he stood and urged me to come with him.
“Friends,” I said on a sigh as I rose.
“Friends can dance,” he said.
I didn’t argue anymore; I just let him draw me into his arms as we moved from the rug to the wood floor.
Butch looked at us, decided it wasn’t worth waking up, and closed his eyes again.
Josh urged me closer until my thighs and chest rested against his.
His hand enveloped mine, and I gave in to the urge to rest my cheek on his chest. Molded together, we swayed easily to the music. He had size and strength along with rhythm and grace, and I wanted the song to go on and on.
But it ended, and silence filled the room.
It took me a minute, but I pulled back to look up at him.
His eyes were dark in the soft light, the fire reflecting in their green flecks. He had the most beautiful eyes I had ever seen. I almost told him that. But then he feathered his fingertips over my cheek and I forgot about anything else.
His gaze locked with mine, and he cradled my face with his palms. His lips moved, but I couldn’t tell what he meant to say.
Then he dipped forward slowly, excruciatingly slowly.
My lips parted, and I closed my eyes waiting for the inevitable.
I waited, and I waited. And finally his lips brushed mine. It was more a question than a kiss, but it sent a lightning bolt of emotions through me.
He kissed me again, more firmly this time. His lips were tender, sweet with the chocolate, hot and perfect, so perfect.
I kissed him back, my arms going around him, leaning into him, absorbing his very essence.
He ended the kiss.
I whimpered inside.
He pulled back a couple of inches. “I promised myself I wouldn’t do that.”
I knew exactly what he meant. My own promises had been along the same lines.
“Ah, Laila,” he said. He touched his forehead to mine.
“I’m trying to fight it,” I admitted.
I felt him nod. “We’re on different paths.”
“We’re in different worlds.”
“That we are.”
Neither of us moved.
“But . . .” I ventured. I didn’t even know what I wanted to say.
“Sit with me?”
“Sure.”
He took my hand, keeping hold of it as we sat down next to each other on the sofa, bodies angled so we faced each other. I drank in his handsome face, his flushed expression, a shock of messy hair, and that perfect beard growth that made me want to start kissing him all over again.
“Tell me something,” he said.
“What?”
“About your real life. Something you love about New York, your career, your friends, or shopping or whatever.”
“I don’t have a career right now.”
“You do,” he said. “You might not have a job right now, but you definitely have a career.”
I struggled to ignore the way his thumb stroked the back of my hand. “I could be a terrible lawyer for all you know.”
“I know you’re a good lawyer.”
“Based on?” I was curious to hear his reasoning.
“Madeline likes you. Becky likes you. You were hired by a prestigious firm.”
“And also fired by a prestigious firm.”
“Not because of your legal work.”
“True enough.”
“The offers are going to start pouring in.”
“I hope so.”
His gaze grew more intense. “Would I be a terrible person if I said I hoped not?”
I couldn’t help but smile at that. “Yes, you would.”
“I mean, not for forever or anything. But for a while. A little while.” He withdrew his hand. “This isn’t good.”
I knew what he meant. Our feelings were going to hurt us in the end. He wanted me to stay in Rutter’s Point, and I wanted to pack him up and take him back to New York City.
There were veterinarians in Manhattan. There had to be. Lots of people had little dogs. And cats made good apartment pets. There must be kids with hamsters and gerbils. There’d be plenty of vet work there.
“Tell me what’s great about Rutter’s Point,” I said.
His expression brightened. “Yeah?”
I immediately saw my mistake. It