met me on the grass, glancing at the nibbled patch of flowers as he passed. The ground was just a bit wet, probably not noticeable to anyone not looking for it. If the deer came, hopefully it wouldn’t be looking.
“If they expend a lot of effort, they tend to binge-sleep.” He stopped beside me. “Do you want to set the tripwire?” I nodded and got to it. “So they might sleep a week after a battle, but otherwise not so much. He doesn’t do much around here, so I doubt he sleeps very often. All that time, and he still can’t make a doily.”
I laughed, tore down the spell, and started over. “Quiet for a moment. This still takes concentration.”
I finished, and we continued on toward the house, Austin’s pressure on my back directing me around to the front porch.
“Can’t end a date at the back door,” he said. Once there, he deposited me on the stoop before stepping back, his eyes deep and soft. “Thank you, Jacinta. I had a great time.”
I felt antsy, like he might leave. “It was perfect, Austin. I would not change one thing, not even Mr. Tom falling from the tree.” I picked at my nail. “Do you… You’re coming in, right?”
“If this were a real date, no. I would bid you adieu and call you tomorrow. Since I’m sleeping here…I kinda have to.”
“If this were a real date, you wouldn’t come in?”
“No, because I wouldn’t want the old guard to make assumptions. I wouldn’t want them to think I had fallen into my old habits, or that my feelings for you were shallow.”
“Since when do you care what other people think?”
“As it concerns you? Always.”
I shook my head. “Stop always saying the right thing. It’s annoying.” I laughed, flicking my hair, a nervous movement. I didn’t want to go back to normal life. I wanted this moment, this perfect date, to last forever. “What about a hug and kiss on the cheek? You’d give that to your granny.”
“I wouldn’t dare. She’d punch me in the balls if I tried. She’s not a hugger.”
He moved in slowly, his eyes holding mine, pulling me in. My stomach fluttered and expectant shivers coated me.
“But since you are a hugger,” he said, barely a whisper, his voice deep and rough and sexy.
He slid his hands across my hips and around, pulling me to him firmly, our fronts pressing together. I couldn’t help but moan, my eyes fluttering shut as he spread his hands on my back, his strength enveloping me. The squeeze felt so good, and I slid my palms down his chest to his pecs, feeling his muscle through his shirt.
As he released me, he touched his lips to my cheek, soft at first, then a little firmer. He dragged them a little, giving me another little kiss nearer my mouth, then dragged a little more, spreading a trail of fire across my skin. His lips skimmed the corner of mine, like they had in the mine before I threw a wrench in my own wicked plans. He paused for a moment, breathing faster, sharing the same heated air.
I couldn’t take it anymore. I slid my hands back up his torso, the feeling beyond good, and turned my head just enough that our lips aligned, almost touching. Without another thought, he leaned in, pulling his hand around so his fingertips braced against my jaw. His taste exploded through me, wine and honey and cinnamon. He nibbled my bottom lip before deepening the kiss, almost like he couldn’t help himself, stealing my breath. My God, I’d forgotten how damn well he kissed. How consuming. I held on for dear life, lost to it, lost to him. Why weren’t we supposed to do this, again? What was the big deal?
Too soon he pulled back, breathing heavily.
“Whoops,” he said, his lips still so close, his fingers at my jaw, his other arm wrapped around me. “That got away from me. Did I just ruin the date?”
“Definitely. You had it locked down, and you just blew everything to hell.”
He smiled, kissing me once more, light but languid, before backing off. “Can’t happen again.”
“I know.”
“It was a friend kiss.”
“Two for two on the friend kisses. Both after a wine tasting.”
“Right. No more wine tasting.” He stepped up onto the porch and reached for the door.
“Hey, Austin?”
He paused and turned back.
“Will you do me a huge favor?” I asked. “You don’t have to. It won’t be easy.”