not been able to withstand the stress. He also knew many who made it work and, for them, their life was so much better. Hell, my parents and the Kings are perfect examples.
Feeling his hand jiggle, he looked down to see her staring up at him.
“Whatcha thinking about?” she asked.
“That I’m walking around the harbor with the most beautiful woman in Hope City.”
Her laughter ended in a snort, which in turn caused him to start laughing as well. “I can’t believe I just did that! I never used to snort when I laughed… at least, not when I was younger. Now, I do it all the time!”
“I think I’ve heard that’s something old women do,” he said, then grunted when her elbow hit his middle.
“That kind of comment will take away any chance you have of getting lucky tonight.”
Leaning back in horror with his hand over his heart, he shook his head. “I’ll take any punishment but that!”
They fell into an easy pace as their arms were wrapped around each other and they continued walking around the Inner Harbor.
“Oh, look! It’s the Pirates!”
They turned and faced the water, watching as a tourist boat was now surrounded by smaller boats with playacting pirates shouting threats. “I wonder if my niece has ever been out to see this?” he mused aloud.
“How old is she?”
“She’s seven now.”
“Oh, that’s the perfect age to get excited about pirates on the water.”
The sun was beginning to set behind the skyscrapers toward the west, casting long shadows on the water. As they strolled along, they avoided the storefronts, keeping closer to the least-traveled path near the edge of the harbor.
He led her over to a streetlamp, stopped, and turned so that they were facing each other, bodies pressed together. She looked up at him and smiled as he bent to kiss her. Because there were still so many people around he kept the kiss light but, even so, his body tingled with her lips on his. Leaning back, they said nothing, their eyes holding an entire conversation silently.
She finally glanced around and grinned. “This is where we shared our first kiss.”
“I’m glad you remembered. That’s why we’re here.”
“I could hardly forget that kiss. Or you.”
“What about what happened after that? Were you able to forget that?”
Twisting around to glance at the hotel, she laughed. “Oh, I haven’t forgotten a moment of that.”
Kissing her again, he mumbled against her lips, “Your place or mine?”
“Whichever is closer.” Her breath was warm against his face and he shivered.
“That’ll be mine. And this time, you’d better not disappear in the morning.”
She grinned. “Hey, you’re driving so you’ll have to take me home. But you’d better not plan on kicking me out too early!”
Taking her lips in another kiss, he squeezed her and they began walking back around the harbor toward his SUV. This time, their pace was hurried.
Kyle’s townhome was an end unit, so he did not have to worry about being the king of parallel parking. Pulling to the side, he turned off the engine, threw open the door, and his feet had barely hit the pavement before he jogged around to Kimberly’s side. She must have been in an equal hurry because she was already out of the vehicle by the time he reached her. He grabbed her hand and they raced to the front door. He fumbled with the keys and cursed under his breath. She pressed her body against his and he groaned. “Not helping, babe.”
Her laughter met his ears, and he finally managed to open the door. Dragging her inside, she had just looked around and said, “Oh, how nice—”, when his lips hit hers again. He angled his head, licked her lips, and as soon as she opened her mouth, he plunged his tongue inside. This woman, this taste, was what he had been aching for since he’d seen her the previous day.
His hands moved to the lapels of her jean jacket and slid it down her shoulders, letting it puddle by the front door. Barely taking the time to make sure the door was locked, he bent and swooped her into his arms. Mumbling, “I’ll give you a tour tomorrow,” he stalked toward the stairs.
Her arms wound around his neck and she pulled his mouth back to hers. He started up the L-shaped stairs, then dragged his lips away. As much as he hated to end the kiss, he did not want to slam her head against the wall. Her weight was slight in