She stared up at him, waiting for him to say something, anything to cut the awkward pause between them.
He didn’t. He just kept looking into her eyes.
One second she was standing there, keeping her hands mostly to herself, and the next she was going to her tiptoes, doing the unthinkable. Something so out of character that had she not been living the moment to witness it herself, she’d have never believed it.
She pressed her lips to his and fire ignited inside her.
He growled and slipped an arm around her waist, jerking her closer, causing her to gasp. Then his tongue was darting into her mouth, plundering it, making her body heat more.
A needy moan came from deep within her as she gripped the stuffed animal, pulling it from his hand into hers, just as sanity began to work its way back into her mind. Of course the moment of lucidity was timed perfectly with Rurik tipping her head back and taking the kiss to an entirely new level.
Shock at her behavior left her jerking back from him, pulling the stuffed animal close to her chest, and staring up at him with wide eyes. Unable to believe herself, she seized the moment and made her escape, turning and mumbling something that may or may not have sounded like goodbye before sprinting back to her house, bare feet and all.
She bolted into the house like a crazed maniac and slammed the door shut behind her. She leaned against it as if her weight might be needed to keep someone out.
Isobel came walking out from the kitchen minus the coffeepot. She tipped her head. “You’re super pale. You okay?”
Liberty merely stood there, leaning against the door.
“What’s with the bear?” asked Isobel.
The bear?
It was then Liberty realized she was clutching Rurik’s stuffed bear. The one he’d gotten from someone named Duke for his birthday.
She groaned and closed her eyes. “Excuse me. I need to die from mortification.”
“Okay but why?”
She peeked out of one eye at her friend. “I kissed him.”
A huge smile spread over Isobel’s face. “Right on.”
Liberty shook her head. “No. Not right on. I can never look him in the face again.”
Daisy came partway down the stairs with her suitcase. “Can’t face who again?”
Isobel glanced at her. “Liberty kissed the hot Russian.”
Daisy dropped her rolling bag and it bounced down the remaining steps, landing on its side on the floor in front of Liberty. Somehow, it managed to stay shut and looked unharmed.
Isobel snorted. “Guess that’s no worse than what baggage claim people do to it.”
Daisy hurried down the stairs and ignored her suitcase as she stepped over it. “You kissed him? Like on the lips?”
“No, on another special area,” said Isobel with a wicked grin. “Hold up, tell me you kissed him there and not the lips.”
“Where?” asked Liberty, still worked up over what she’d done.
Isobel glanced downward. “You know. There.”
Liberty gasped. “No! I didn’t do that. Why would you think that?”
“Because I’m pretty sure most men would prefer lips to be there,” said Isobel.
Daisy laughed. “She’s not wrong.”
Liberty grunted. “It was a mouth kiss.”
“Well, you were almost exciting for a minute there,” said Isobel with a shrug as she went to the small side table near the door. “Hey, chickenshit, have you seen my keys?”
It took Liberty a moment to realize Isobel was talking to her. “Chickenshit? Really?”
“You do realize you’re pressed against that door like a zombie horde might try to break through it at any moment, all while you clutch a stuffed bear,” said Isobel.
Liberty cringed. “I might have sort of stolen this from him and ran home after kissing him.”
Isobel laughed loudly. “Total chickenshit.”
Daisy simply stood before her shaking her head. “I can’t believe you kissed him.”
“Me either,” stressed Liberty. “His lips were just so…tempting.”
“I’ll admit, he’s very attractive,” said Daisy.
Isobel rolled her eyes as she began lifting couch cushions. “The description you’re looking for is hot as hell.”
Daisy grunted. “Fine. He’s that.”
Reaching up, Liberty touched her lower lip with one hand while she clutched the bear in the other. “Yes. He is.”
“You planning to return his bear?” asked Isobel, moving to the chair and lifting its cushion as well.
“What are you doing?” Daisy stared at her.
“Trying to find my keys,” responded Isobel. “When I got in last night, I put them in the bowl on the server. At least I think I did.”
“Are they hanging on the back hook?” questioned Daisy.
“No clue. I thought they were on the server. Shows what I know.” Isobel shook her head as she headed toward the kitchen. After a minute, she yelled, “Found them!”
Daisy bent and lifted her suitcase to the upright position. “Are you okay?”
Liberty lowered her hand from her lip. “I’m embarrassed. I can’t believe I did that. How am I going to give him back his bear since I can’t ever look at him again?”
Daisy’s lips twitched. “Libs, take a deep breath. I’ve never seen you this way before.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever felt this way before.”
Isobel entered the room once more, this time with her keys in hand. “I’m taking Daisy to the airport and then I’m going to campus for a bit.”
“Can you swing by the house and give me a ride to the campus when you’re done at the airport?” asked Liberty. “I have papers to drop off to Dr. Pasternak.”
Isobel nodded. “Sure thing. Try not to get pregnant while I’m gone.”
Liberty felt faint. “Isobel!”
“Hey, girl, I’ve seen him. I’m not going to lie. If the Russian suggested I have his babies, I’d consider it,” said Isobel with a laugh.
Daisy grunted. “I’m scared to leave you two alone for any length of time. Maybe I should stay home and not go to this conference.”
Isobel snickered. “We’ll be fine. I’ve got a crap ton of things to get done and Libs will be baking nonstop after all this.”
Daisy’s eyes widened.
