Oh boy.
“Happy place engaged,” I whisper, and then he lowers his mouth to mine.
Colin’s lips are just as delicious and soft as they were in the car earlier, but this time, he parts his mouth over my bottom lip and grazes his tongue across it in a plea for entrance.
And Igiveit.
And it isgood.
The courtyard is suddenly scorching like the surface of the damn sun as his tongue gently probes into my mouth, stroking over mine as our lips fit together like complementary puzzle pieces. Colin’s fingertips are tracing lines down the side of my neck, and I allow myself to lean into his large, solid torso for fear that I might melt into a puddle at his feet.
This kiss only lasts for about three seconds, but apparently three seconds are all it takes for me to question the necessity tojust say no.
I mean… if I’m going to quitanyway… what would it really hurt?
I probably wouldn’t even see him again after I left Platinum, so what’s the harm in letting him be just a notch in my belt?
For God’s sake, Elle.
I’vedefinitelyhad too much champagne.
Colin appends the kiss with a firm peck planted on the corner of my mouth before looking at me with a warm smile. “So, are you good?”
I can’t stop staring at his mouth.
Mylipglossis on it.
It doesn’t look half bad.
“Fine,” I murmur.
He gives the small of my back a nudge while pressing a kiss to my temple. “Try to stand up straight, Elle.”
I recover my faltered posture. “My bad.”
“No.” He wraps his arm around my shoulders and holds me close to him. “You’re good. It’s kind of you to care about her feelings. I do, too, and I wish I wasn’t in this position with her at all. But I know people can’t control feelings like that. She can’t help that she’s always felt that way, just like I can’t help that I alwayshaven’t.”
A waiter pauses next to us, and Colin takes my champagne from me and sets it on the tray.
“Can you bring us two glasses of Lagavulin, neat?”
The waiter nods and steps away as I turn my face up to look at Colin while he’s still embracing me. “So,” I prompt in an accusing and snarky tone, “you like crappy nineties comediesandmockumentary sitcoms?”
Colin turns his face to smirk down at me. “What?”
I take a step away from his arm around me and stand in front of him. “You ordered us Lagavulin.” I reach for his tie to do thegirlfriendthing of absently adjusting the knot. “That’s a Parks and Rec thing. You like Ron Swanson.”
He squints as a tight-lipped smile tugs the corners of his mouth. “I’m not familiar with either of those things, and I thought we could use something stronger than sissy champagne.” He slips his hands in his pockets and offers a tiny jerk of his chin at me. “Peated whiskey will make you feel like you’ve got all the balls in the world, and I think we could both use that right now.”
I can’t stop the laugh that bursts out of me. “That’s such a Ron Swanson thing to say. Youtotallylove Parks and Rec.”
Colin jostles his head. “I’m still not making the connection.”
“Wow.” The fact that he loves Chris Farley movies and can’tmake the connectionis downright absurd, and I need to rectify this abnormality. Also, Reader, I think I’m probably a little too tipsy for whiskey ofanykind at the moment, but it seems my give-a-fucks are dissolving. “Well, I know what we’ll be doing in that king-sized bed later tonight.”
Colin arches a brow, and his pale blue eyes darken to sapphire again. “Do you?”
“Yeah, we’re going to do some Netflix bingeing,” I supply immediately because I know whathe’sthinking of, and I’m approaching drunk enough to do it right now.
