I knew that if I didn’t get myself in check, I’d cross a line I had no business crossing. I wasn’t sure how much longer I could trust myself. I’d somehow found the strength to resist her up until now, but her lips—those full, luscious lips—were calling to me like a siren at sea.
“I have her phone number if you want it.”
“What?” I’d heard what she said but I was so lost in the thought of kissing her that the words hadn’t registered.
“Nadia. After I told her we were headed back to Savannah tonight, she gave me her number in case I, or should I say we, ever came back to visit. She told me to pass it along to you. I can text it to you if you want.”
I could feel her looking at me as I pulled into the parking lot of Southern Comfort. I sensed that my answer mattered to her. Her voice had gone up an octave and her breathing pattern changed when she’d offered to text the number to me. It hadn’t when she was on camera, but that just meant that she wasn’t anxious on camera, but she was now. It was almost as if she was nervous about whether or not I wanted this Nadia chick’s number.
“No. I’m good.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a tiny curl at the edges of her lips as she let out a breath. These tiny ticks would’ve most likely gone unnoticed by anyone without a lifetime of observing people under their belt, but they stood out to me. She was relieved that I hadn’t wanted Nadia’s number. Which meant I might not be in this thing alone after all.
I wasn’t sure what I was going to do about that development as I got out of the car and walked around to the passenger side door. Since witnessing my mom chastise me, Josie had waited for me to open her door for her, which I appreciated.
When I did, she took my hand and asked, “Are you sure?”
I was sure I wanted to kiss her.
I was sure that I’d never felt the things I felt for her before.
I was sure that I could get lost in the gold flecks swimming in her milk chocolate eyes.
I was sure she was the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen.
I was sure about a lot of things, but I wasn’t sure what she was asking me about.
“Sure about what?” I heard the gravelly quality to my voice. It happened every time I touched Josie.
She licked her lips and my eyes tracked her pink tongue sliding between her full lips. My brain knew that it was a nervous gesture, but unfortunately, all of the blood in my head rushed to my dick and didn’t deliver the message. Every muscle in my body was tense with arousal.
“Are you sure that you don’t want her number?” Her voice trembled, and I imagined that’s what she would sound like saying my name while I was buried deep inside of her.
“Yes. I’m sure.”
She dipped her head as a flush rose on her porcelain cheeks.
I shut the door behind her and my head dipped at the same time she lifted her head and our mouths were an inch away from each other. I froze as an internal war erupted. One side was screaming for me to close the distance between us and press my lips to hers, and the other side was fighting for me to back away from her.
The conflict became a draw when a pick-up truck pulled up beside us. I wasn’t sure which side would’ve been the victor if the new arrival hadn’t interrupted the war between my conscience and my hormones. As much as I’d like to think that morals would’ve won, deep down I doubted that would’ve been the case.
When the driver got out and introduced himself as Jimmy Comfort, I shook his hand and excused myself to unload the equipment. He and Josie spoke for a minute but then they went ahead of me into the bar. I took the time I had alone outside to try and clear my head and get some sort of handle on what was developing between Josie and me.
My reaction to her was so foreign to me, I had no plan for how to deal with it. I tried to rationalize my borderline obsession with Josie by telling myself it was just because I hadn’t been with anyone in so