Maybe Kinsley needed him more than he’s let on, but my instincts tell me his choice wasn’t just about his sister.
CHAPTER 17
LUKE
Iintentionally kept our conversation light on the car ride back to Sarabella. Otherwise, I’m afraid I’d spill my guts to this woman who’s taking up a lot of real estate in my head these days. Seeing her in my jersey decimated the last of my resistance. I didn’t plan to catch feelings for her, but I did.
And I am. More so with each minute I spend with her.
Which scares me, because I’m not sure I could deal with losing someone close to me again. Every time I see Kinsley’s name on my phone, fear spirals up from the pit of my stomach and deadlocks into my chest. I keep thinking this will improve with time, and it is. But it’s still my gut reaction.
It took all the strength I had left over from the game not to yank Sophie out of her chair and kiss her at the restaurant after she explained her expanding vision for that column she covets so much. The passion in her voice…how her eyes widened with excitement…makes me want to jump in and experience life the way she does.
To live my life out of passion and not fear. And yeah, I wanted to kiss her right there, greasy lips and all.
I park the car in front of the building she directs me to. “I’ll get your door.”
She starts to argue with me, but I stop her. Here I am again, trying to be the man my mother raised me to be. Every day, I try to make her proud, as if that will erase the truth that she’s gone.
Sophie takes my offered hand when she gets out. “Thanks for the ride.”
“My pleasure.” I follow her up the sidewalk.
She stops and turns around. “What are you doing?”
I skim the night sky above us, noting the heat lightning crawling silently through the clouds. “Making sure you get to your door safely.”
She shakes her head, then crosses her arms and tilts her smile. “First the hotel room. Now my apartment. You make this sound like we’re on a date or something.”
Moonlight reflects off her bangs, and a cool breeze rustles the palm fronds overhead, lifting a tendril of hair across her face. Standing with her in the shadows of the night somehow emboldens me.
Drawn to move closer, I tuck the wayward strand behind her ear, brushing the soft swell of her cheek with the back of my fingers. My voice roughs out, “And what if it was? A date, that is.”
She blinks several times, her pink lips parting with surprise as she drops her arms. “Oh…yes. I mean, I was actually joking. Well, kind of…but I think that would be okay. But no pressure! I wouldn’t want you to think?—”
I dip my head, my mouth hovering over hers. So close yet not touching. “And what if I kissed you good night? Would that be okay too?”
Her lashes flutter as her eyes drop to my mouth. “Yes.”
Slow and soft, I brush my lips over hers, figuring that would be a good first kiss. But then Sophie leans into me, sliding her hands up the front of my shirt as she parts her lips with a sigh that blows my mind.
Our kiss intensifies and deepens, then slows, giving me time to memorize the taste and feel of her. She’s soft in my arms, so Ipress her closer. I want to explore everything about her, but I also don’t want to rush this. That’s what my mind tells me, but then I remember she’s wearing my jersey and every part of me ignites on a whole new level.
For the record, drawing away from her is one of the hardest things I’ve done to date. I rest my hands on the curve of her hips and lighten the kiss back to where we started, softly sweeping my lips over hers before lifting my head.
Her smile is tentative as she lifts her hand to my face and traces the outline of my lips with her finger, which somehow affects me even more than her sigh did. “The shape of your lips is so fascinating.”
Laughter rumbles in my chest. I hope that’s a compliment because I definitely want a repeat. “Is that a good thing?”
Giggling, she bites her bottom lip, making me want to kiss her again. “I took figure drawing in college to better understand the human form for my photography, and you have sculpted lips.”
“Sculpted seems good.” I brush my nose over the tip of hers.
Her breath fans my face as she lets out a breathy exhale. “Very good. Who wants to kiss someone with lizard lips?”
“Another lizard?” I quip.
She blurts out a laugh. “There is that.”
