Before Jamie, she’d built sky-high walls, erecting boundaries where men were concerned.
She’d fallen into a relationship with Niall because he was always around, even though their connection lacked any real chemistry.
That was why the electric buzz surging through her now, the thrilling warmth that spread through her veins, was so unexpected and powerful.
Shannon finished up in the ladies, running her fingers through her shiny black waves in a half-hearted attempt to look less tousled.
When she returned to the table, a strange stutter messed with her heartbeat, throwing off the rhythm.
“Thanks for the burger. It was nice to meet you, Jamie.” The words caught in her throat as he dragged his nails across his jaw, his gaze fixed on her with an intensity that made her heart skip a beat.
He rose, extending a hand toward her in a business-like gesture.
Her insides turned to mush. He was ready to say goodbye. No more flirty suggestions or mention of another date hanging in the air.
But his expression remained soft, and yet his stance turned almost predatory. His hand waited in the space between them.
She brushed her palm against his, her fingers curling around his large hand. Sparks shot through her body like lightning, electrifying every nerve.
Her breath caught when he leaned in, his lips brushing her cheek close to her mouth.
She turned her head a fraction, hoping he’d kiss her, but his lips moved to her ear, leaving a trail of heat on her skin.
“Thank you for helping my dad, Shannon,” he murmured, his voice low and deep. “And for joining me this afternoon.”
His gratitude tingled over her, and his breath rested on her skin like a forbidden touch, sending shivers from her scalp to her toes.
He teased a lock of her hair that had fallen over her shoulder, a small, amused smile tugging at his lips.
A soft sigh escaped her, and without thinking, she dragged her tongue across her lips, her body humming.
Jamie’s chest bumped against hers, and she swore an electric charge pulsed between them, visible to everyone in the restaurant.
Her body leaned in closer, desperate to taste him. Then, without warning, his lips pressed against hers, softat first, then deeper, with a demanding pressure that made her blood run red-hot.
This kiss wasn’t innocent, and it sure as hell wasn’t friendly either. It was fire, hunger, and all-consuming.
She melted into him, groaning as his fingers threaded through her messy hair.
The kiss deepened, his tongue slipping inside her mouth with a searing, unrelenting urgency that set every nerve in her body on fire.
He kissed her like she was his, pulling her closer against his solid body.
Each stroke of his tongue teased her into surrender and had her responding, her lips moving in perfect sync with his, lost in the taste of him.
God, he was hard to resist.
When he pulled away, his lips lingering, he grinned, his voice rough.
“You taste like cherries. Glossy red cherries. Sinful and sweet.” His thumb brushed across her bottom lip, his eyes dark with desire. “You’d be the perfect cherry on top of my dick, love.”
Shannon leaned back, gripping the edge of the table as her head spun, the words tumbling in her mind. She needed a moment to ground herself, to pull her thoughts back down to earth.
The entire restaurant blurred around her, leaving only him in focus. His eyes. The sharp lines of his jaw. The tousled mess of his hair, and that damn smirk.
He knew. He fucking knew she was wet for him.
“Goodbye, Shannon.”
