“It’s not that I hate them. And I don’t think I get any more nervous than the average person. But I find the whole thing a little…tacky. Fake. Lots of smiles and feigned interest in you as a person, when all the while they are trying to figure out what they could do for your business or what you could do for theirs.”
Connor placed his arm on the back of the sofa, his fingertips playing with the ends of her hair. “Isn’t that what all relationships are about? Give and take? Getting to learn how you can be of service.”
Thoughts of what giving and taking might look like with Connor made her core tighten. “That might be what business relationships are built on. But personal ones rely on honesty, loyalty, compassion, love. If you only think how the other person can be of use, you’re missing the whole point.”
His lips brushed the soft spot behind her ear. “Love doesn’t pay the bills.”
Emerson tilted her head a little to the right to give him more access, feeling prickles of excitement as his lips skated along her skin. “Money doesn’t keep you warm at night.”
“Fair point,” he said, sliding his hand beneath her hair, his thumb brushing her cheek. “Can we agree with both? Call it a draw.”
She pursed her lips, pretended to be thinking about the question, which was almost impossible with Connor so close to her, her stomach feeling as though someone had popped a bottle of champagne inside…after shaking it. “For now,” she said teasingly. “I feel this deserves a richer debate.”
Connor studied her face for a moment before running his thumb across her lip. “You are infinitely entertaining with that smart mouth of yours.” He moved closer, his face inches away from hers.
“Are you going to kiss me?” she asked hoarsely.
“In a moment, and only if you’re okay with that. You can’t take back the first kiss,” he said, before running his tongue over his lower lip. “You have to give yourself the opportunity to think about how it’s going to feel, how…”
“How what?”
“How even though it’s just one kiss, there’s a whisper of a chance that everything you thought you knew was going to change, no matter what the consequences,” he said resolutely. “Are you ready, Emerson?”
Unable to form a coherent sentence in response, she simply nodded.
And with that, he pressed his lips to hers. They were soft. Tender. She felt a surge of warmth from him as his arm went around the back of her neck to pull her closer.
There was a certainty, a control to it, and yet a deep unbinding passion as he took them both deeper. His tongue sought hers, and she tasted the earthy flavor of the whiskey he’d drunk.
Connor pulled back for a moment and placed his forehead on hers. “As I said, you most definitely weren’t what I expected.” The look of longing in his eyes reassured her he’d meant it as a compliment.
He released her, and Emerson couldn’t help but smile. It was all she seemed to be able to do around him. She knew it was the first flush of something new, something that seemed to have some potential and momentum to propel them forward. And she was reassured that Connor felt the same.
She’d tried online dating, but she wasn’t a big fan of getting skeevy messages at two in the morning asking in all kinds of creative ways if she was available for sex. And so what if she occasionally had been?
But this…
This was the start of something.
And unless she was completely misreading the signals, Connor felt the same.
As the hours of the evening slipped by, they discussed their lives in Denver, their friends, their hobbies. And Emerson ordered dessert…to share.
She eyed Connor carefully. “It’s not going to kill you,” she said, grinning at his indecision.
He sat with his arms folded and stared at her. Granted, those eyes were hooded and telling her he was well aware she was teasing him.
“Not even a little taste?” she said innocently.
“Emerson,” he growled.
“Yes, Connor?” She took one of the two spoons, scooped a small bite of the delicious dessert involving chocolate and salted caramel, and slowly put it in her mouth, groaning as the sweetness hit her tongue. Then she opened her eyes and laughed. “It’s only chocolate.”
She scooped another spoonful of dessert, but his hand gripped her wrist on the way to her mouth. “With you, I don’t think anything is only chocolate.” He steered the spoon to his own mouth and ate it. “And see, I can do dessert.”
Emerson laughed and took another scoop for herself while Connor released her wrist and reached for the other spoon. “There aren’t many people I’d break my habits for, but I feel you might be one of them, Emerson.”
His softly spoken words warmed her heart.
“I want to see you again,” Connor said as he walked her to her car. “Soon. If you’d like to.”
Emerson pointed to her car pulled up along the sidewalk before grabbing the keys out of her purse. “I had fun with you tonight, Connor. And I don’t see the point in playing games. So, yes, I’d love to see you again.”
Connor wrapped his arms around her waist, and as she’d hoped, he kissed her. This time the kiss went deeper, his tongue brushed against hers, the sweet taste of chocolate and Connor filled her taste buds.
Her body ran flush against his, her nipples straining against the lace of her bra as Connor held her.
A younger Emerson would be shy about kissing a man on a street corner in Downtown Denver, but the world went on around them as she slid her hands inside his jacket. Jesus on a freaking bicycle, his body was firm to the touch. She was right about the macro counting and felt the tiniest bit of remorse for tempting him to eat dessert. And while
