vulnerability. To his relief, nothing seemed amiss. As he walked around, he surreptitiously tried the many window-doors to make sure they were locked.
Good.
Maybe it shouldn’t have surprised him that she had instincts for self-preservation. She had, after all, come from New York—a place where you locked your doors and never let down your guard. It made him feel a little better about her living up there.
And then it happened—the moment he hadn’t been anticipating but should’ve. For the first time, they were together alone at the end of the night. For the first time, they weren’t exchanging a waved goodbye or some other such casual parting. For the first time, he owed her a proper good night.
This is where things could get awkward. Because Shea wasn’t a stranger. She wasn’t a grocery store customer or an employee. She was a friend who had visited his mother’s house and eaten his mother’s pie. But there was no point denying it: a friend was a lot less than he wanted her to be.
Still, this hadn’t been a date. And anything more than a peck on the cheek or a friendly hug would freak her out. So he ignored every instinct to sweep her into a delicious kiss, even though both of them knew there was something crackling hot between them, even though both of them knew that said kiss was inevitable.
He wasn’t willing to mess it up. But he didn’t want to give her the wrong impression either. That’s why he touched her arm and stepped right into her space, placed a soft kiss on her cheek at the same moment as he squeezed said arm, and stared down into those warm, brown eyes before bidding her good night.
22
The Boat
Shea
Dev Kingston has some nerve, Shea said to herself rather unreasonably. She’d been mentally cursing the man all morning. He alone was responsible for her lack of concentration. On second thought, maybe some of the blame ought to be put on Delilah, whose perpetual need to rise early in the morning had led to an early departure, her ten-o’clock bedtime perpetrating events that left Shea and Dev alone in his car.
Even before last night, Shea had struggled to remain impervious to Dev’s charm. Seeing him with Evie had done nothing to diminish his appeal. There were few things more attractive than a man who doted on his momma. Then, to be in his car, surrounded by a cocoon of his citrusy, spicy aroma had made Shea ache to do spicy things.
Don’t forget the arm squeeze, sex-starved Shea reminded reasonable Shea, as if any version of Shea could forget. It was the least-perfunctory cheek kiss she’d ever received. And it hadn’t felt like a cheek-kiss at all. His big hand had cuffed her upper arm firmly. His green eyes had narrowed, telegraphing something complex before warm lips delivered a too-brief kiss to her cheek. A wave of his delectable scent had filled her senses as soon as he’d pulled back and she might have leant forward just a bit. She might’ve taken it a step farther, trailing said nose up the column of his beautiful neck it if his voice hadn’t broken the spell, speaking a deep “good night.”
“How late did you stay at Evie’s?” a familiar voice wanted to know. Shea hadn’t even seen Delilah come in.
“Not too late…” Shea answered, hoping Delilah wouldn’t notice the dazed look on her face.
“Hey…” Shea changed the subject. “Do you know where I can get a dog?”
Delilah, on her way to the walk-in, called over her shoulder. “That question is super random…”
When Delilah reappeared, she carried a huge vat of what Shea now recognized easily to be chicken broth.
“Actually, I’ve been thinking about it for a long time.” Shea confessed. “My ex…”
Delilah didn’t let her finish. “...sounds like a douche. Let me guess: he wouldn’t even let you get a pet.”
It was true. Keenan had always claimed a canine allergy, but Shea had never seen him so much sneeze or scratch his eyes. She still wasn’t sure what that particular quirk had been about. Did he just not like dogs, or was he simply jealous of any competition for her affection?
“I’m thinking maybe a rescue, but I googled it earlier and I couldn’t find any rescue organizations within a hundred miles.”
“I think a dog is a great idea,” came Dev’s voice.
“Holy hell, Dev. You sneaking in and hovering in the doorway is creepy as hell. Seriously—when you come in, announce yourself.”
“Good morning to you, too, little