conversation.”
Trent needed to sit down. He stumbled to the kitchen table and perched on the edge. “Did I just miss something here?”
She joined him, perching on the table next to him. “I think it’s shock.” She snapped her fingers. “Presto—this never happened.”
He shifted so he could face her. “You like me…like a boyfriend kind of like me?”
“Can’t we forget I said all these crazy things? Let’s just move back to the part where you were telling me how you were going to clear my name?”
For a full minute, he stared into her eyes. His pulse kicked up and his breath caught in his throat. He leaned closer. She didn’t move back, so he closed the distance until his mouth hovered over hers. She still didn’t move. He touched his lips to hers, a soft press. She gave a small moan and parted her lips. He dove in. She tasted of plum sauce and ginger. She tasted of heaven. He pressed in for more—more of her, more of her warmth, more of the passion he could taste. Her lips moved against his, soft and seeking. He wanted more of her. He wanted all of her.
Reaching up, she pressed a hand on his chest. And then she shoved—hard. Trent fell back. He licked his lips and grinned. “That was good. Don’t know if it’s boyfriend-girlfriend quality, but—”
She punched him again and stood. “You are such a heel! We’re friends.”
He stood. “But you just said that—?”
“What I said was that we’d be a disaster!” She waved her arms in the air and jabbed him in the chest with one finger. “It’s not as if the kiss meant anything to you. And I can bet…”
He clamped a hand on her mouth. “Calm down! It’s my turn to talk.” When he removed his hand, she folded her arms over her chest. “So talk.”
“I’ve always liked you, Tori. Always.”
“Which is why you asked me to the school dance—oh, wait…you didn’t!”
“Like you’d have gone with me?”
“I might have.”
“When—after you stopped laughing your ass off at me?”
She narrowed her eyes. “You’ve always had a girlfriend hanging around. You never showed any interest in me.”
“Hey! Your dad made it clear you were off-limits to me, and other girls were willing and available.” He spread his arms wide. “I never claimed to be celibate. But, given a choice, yeah, you could have been on top of the list. Always Tori! Right on top!”
She opened her mouth, closed it, and took a step back. “No. No. No.”
“You’re the one who just opened this door, Tori. Let’s just walk through and see where it leads. Come on. You can’t always plan stuff in life. Sometimes you just have to go with the flow.”
“That’s what silly people say when they don’t know what they want or how to get it. I know I want more than a quick fling. Are you telling me you’re ready to grow up and settle down?”
Trent couldn’t help the laugh that burst out of his throat. She glared at him but he shook his head. “That sounds so much just like you. Plans, fully mapped out routes, paths to make things work—how is that doing, Tori? Fate led us to this. Who am I to fight it?” Grabbing her hand, he pulled her forward. For an instant, he gazed into her panicked eyes. God, she was beautiful! That spun-gold hair, those endless deep-blue eyes, those sweet pink lips—he’d dreamt about this moment often enough, but had never allowed himself to act on any impulses. Not with her.
But maybe…
Bending over her, he caught her lips with his again. This time, he kept the kiss soft, didn’t let it spiral into a hot flame the way it had before. He wanted to lure her in, slow and sure. She had her own moves. She melted against him, all those curves pressing into him. She put her arms around his neck, and he lost control. She swept her tongue into his mouth and she tangled with him in an erotic dance. Heat coursed through his veins. Her fingers teased the fine hair on the back of his neck. He brought his hands down to her hips and
Trent needed to sit down. He stumbled to the kitchen table and perched on the edge. “Did I just miss something here?”
She joined him, perching on the table next to him. “I think it’s shock.” She snapped her fingers. “Presto—this never happened.”
He shifted so he could face her. “You like me…like a boyfriend kind of like me?”
“Can’t we forget I said all these crazy things? Let’s just move back to the part where you were telling me how you were going to clear my name?”
For a full minute, he stared into her eyes. His pulse kicked up and his breath caught in his throat. He leaned closer. She didn’t move back, so he closed the distance until his mouth hovered over hers. She still didn’t move. He touched his lips to hers, a soft press. She gave a small moan and parted her lips. He dove in. She tasted of plum sauce and ginger. She tasted of heaven. He pressed in for more—more of her, more of her warmth, more of the passion he could taste. Her lips moved against his, soft and seeking. He wanted more of her. He wanted all of her.
Reaching up, she pressed a hand on his chest. And then she shoved—hard. Trent fell back. He licked his lips and grinned. “That was good. Don’t know if it’s boyfriend-girlfriend quality, but—”
She punched him again and stood. “You are such a heel! We’re friends.”
He stood. “But you just said that—?”
“What I said was that we’d be a disaster!” She waved her arms in the air and jabbed him in the chest with one finger. “It’s not as if the kiss meant anything to you. And I can bet…”
He clamped a hand on her mouth. “Calm down! It’s my turn to talk.” When he removed his hand, she folded her arms over her chest. “So talk.”
“I’ve always liked you, Tori. Always.”
“Which is why you asked me to the school dance—oh, wait…you didn’t!”
“Like you’d have gone with me?”
“I might have.”
“When—after you stopped laughing your ass off at me?”
She narrowed her eyes. “You’ve always had a girlfriend hanging around. You never showed any interest in me.”
“Hey! Your dad made it clear you were off-limits to me, and other girls were willing and available.” He spread his arms wide. “I never claimed to be celibate. But, given a choice, yeah, you could have been on top of the list. Always Tori! Right on top!”
She opened her mouth, closed it, and took a step back. “No. No. No.”
“You’re the one who just opened this door, Tori. Let’s just walk through and see where it leads. Come on. You can’t always plan stuff in life. Sometimes you just have to go with the flow.”
“That’s what silly people say when they don’t know what they want or how to get it. I know I want more than a quick fling. Are you telling me you’re ready to grow up and settle down?”
Trent couldn’t help the laugh that burst out of his throat. She glared at him but he shook his head. “That sounds so much just like you. Plans, fully mapped out routes, paths to make things work—how is that doing, Tori? Fate led us to this. Who am I to fight it?” Grabbing her hand, he pulled her forward. For an instant, he gazed into her panicked eyes. God, she was beautiful! That spun-gold hair, those endless deep-blue eyes, those sweet pink lips—he’d dreamt about this moment often enough, but had never allowed himself to act on any impulses. Not with her.
But maybe…
Bending over her, he caught her lips with his again. This time, he kept the kiss soft, didn’t let it spiral into a hot flame the way it had before. He wanted to lure her in, slow and sure. She had her own moves. She melted against him, all those curves pressing into him. She put her arms around his neck, and he lost control. She swept her tongue into his mouth and she tangled with him in an erotic dance. Heat coursed through his veins. Her fingers teased the fine hair on the back of his neck. He brought his hands down to her hips and
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