yet. You can't do too much damage. Just don't go offering to buy all the bridesmaids lunch, all right?"
She smiled and nipped the card from his hand. “Thanks for the idea.” She turned and kissed her father's cheek, not missing his look of disbelief.
"Any charges from The Cheesecake Factory and I'm coming after you,” Seth said, following her out of Mitch's office.
"Duly noted."
"Seriously, Lauren.” He caught her arm and she turned to look at him. “Get something nice. She's my baby sister."
She patted his cheek, needing to—just needing. His skin was warm, slightly prickly and her hand dropped away before her fingers got the idea to caress. “She'll get the best."
* * * *
Seth stopped by Lauren's house after his shift the following morning. He needed his ATM card, and he wanted to see what she bought Crystal. Hell, no excuses. He wanted to see her.
God save him from high-heeled boots.
As he waited after ringing the doorbell, he wondered when he'd stopped worrying that she had someone overnight. Had he ever worried about it? No, because he'd never encountered it. Even when she was dating Ed, Seth had never seen the guy there the next morning.
Maybe Seth just hadn't come around as much in those days.
Lauren opened the door. No high-heeled boots today. She looked fresh out of bed, rumpled, messy in a sweatshirt and plaid flannel pants, fluffy slippers. His Lauren.
And instead of being relieved, he stepped inside, cupped her face in both his hands, and kissed her.
Oh, man. She was minty and soft, and her lips parted in surprise under his. He had enough wits to give her a couple of seconds before he tilted her head and took the kiss deeper. She made a sound that might have been protest, and he started to pull back, but then she wound her arms around his neck and brushed her tongue over his lower lip. He accepted the invitation.
The inside of her mouth was warm, and the heat she gave off inviting. He slid his hands into her hair, twining his fingers through the silken strands, releasing the scent that had plagued him for weeks, heightened his desire. His hands followed the curve of her head to grip her shoulders, and he knew she wasn't wearing anything silky under that sweatshirt. She wasn't wearing anything at all.
And just like that, ice water. He dropped his hands and stepped back, realizing he'd pinned her to the wall behind the door, like some—some...
Not like he ever wanted to treat Lauren.
"Oh, man, Lauren, I am so sorry."
Her expression, which had been dreamy, if confused, sharpened into anger in less than a blink. “For what?"
"For...” Wanting to feel you up. Wanting to let you see how much I want to see you naked. “I shouldn't have done that.” Bail, bail, bail, the alarm in his head blared. It had saved his life many a time in a fire, and he wouldn't ignore it now. He took a backwards step toward the door.
"Why did you?"
Damn, she was going to trap him with talking, asking questions he didn't know how to answer. “I ... the ... you—” Great coherence there, Seth, my man.
She took a step toward him, her arms crossed beneath the breasts that—
"Why did you?” she repeated, close enough to touch. He clenched his hands to resist the urge. Why hadn't he had this self-control earlier?
"I've got to go,” he said, and bolted.
When she shouted, “Coward!” he couldn't disagree.
The next day Mitch handed him an envelope. Seth took it with a frown, slit it open with his thumb. His ATM card, and a note. “You're very lucky I didn't wipe you out."
Damn. Hell hath no fury.
* * * *
Seth was late for the wedding rehearsal. Great, more time for Lauren's nerves to be jumping. She hadn't laid eyes on him since that bone-melting kiss on Sunday, hadn't spoken to him. This had to be the longest stretch of time in recent memory that they hadn't spoken, and the reason why was clear. Neither had a clue what to say.
She'd trembled for hours after the kiss, partly because of the kiss itself,
She smiled and nipped the card from his hand. “Thanks for the idea.” She turned and kissed her father's cheek, not missing his look of disbelief.
"Any charges from The Cheesecake Factory and I'm coming after you,” Seth said, following her out of Mitch's office.
"Duly noted."
"Seriously, Lauren.” He caught her arm and she turned to look at him. “Get something nice. She's my baby sister."
She patted his cheek, needing to—just needing. His skin was warm, slightly prickly and her hand dropped away before her fingers got the idea to caress. “She'll get the best."
* * * *
Seth stopped by Lauren's house after his shift the following morning. He needed his ATM card, and he wanted to see what she bought Crystal. Hell, no excuses. He wanted to see her.
God save him from high-heeled boots.
As he waited after ringing the doorbell, he wondered when he'd stopped worrying that she had someone overnight. Had he ever worried about it? No, because he'd never encountered it. Even when she was dating Ed, Seth had never seen the guy there the next morning.
Maybe Seth just hadn't come around as much in those days.
Lauren opened the door. No high-heeled boots today. She looked fresh out of bed, rumpled, messy in a sweatshirt and plaid flannel pants, fluffy slippers. His Lauren.
And instead of being relieved, he stepped inside, cupped her face in both his hands, and kissed her.
Oh, man. She was minty and soft, and her lips parted in surprise under his. He had enough wits to give her a couple of seconds before he tilted her head and took the kiss deeper. She made a sound that might have been protest, and he started to pull back, but then she wound her arms around his neck and brushed her tongue over his lower lip. He accepted the invitation.
The inside of her mouth was warm, and the heat she gave off inviting. He slid his hands into her hair, twining his fingers through the silken strands, releasing the scent that had plagued him for weeks, heightened his desire. His hands followed the curve of her head to grip her shoulders, and he knew she wasn't wearing anything silky under that sweatshirt. She wasn't wearing anything at all.
And just like that, ice water. He dropped his hands and stepped back, realizing he'd pinned her to the wall behind the door, like some—some...
Not like he ever wanted to treat Lauren.
"Oh, man, Lauren, I am so sorry."
Her expression, which had been dreamy, if confused, sharpened into anger in less than a blink. “For what?"
"For...” Wanting to feel you up. Wanting to let you see how much I want to see you naked. “I shouldn't have done that.” Bail, bail, bail, the alarm in his head blared. It had saved his life many a time in a fire, and he wouldn't ignore it now. He took a backwards step toward the door.
"Why did you?"
Damn, she was going to trap him with talking, asking questions he didn't know how to answer. “I ... the ... you—” Great coherence there, Seth, my man.
She took a step toward him, her arms crossed beneath the breasts that—
"Why did you?” she repeated, close enough to touch. He clenched his hands to resist the urge. Why hadn't he had this self-control earlier?
"I've got to go,” he said, and bolted.
When she shouted, “Coward!” he couldn't disagree.
The next day Mitch handed him an envelope. Seth took it with a frown, slit it open with his thumb. His ATM card, and a note. “You're very lucky I didn't wipe you out."
Damn. Hell hath no fury.
* * * *
Seth was late for the wedding rehearsal. Great, more time for Lauren's nerves to be jumping. She hadn't laid eyes on him since that bone-melting kiss on Sunday, hadn't spoken to him. This had to be the longest stretch of time in recent memory that they hadn't spoken, and the reason why was clear. Neither had a clue what to say.
She'd trembled for hours after the kiss, partly because of the kiss itself,
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