This has to be what will get me through this day and on to the next. Granted, a kiss isn’t love. But his kiss is . . . everything. His mouth incites a riot of need. His hands generate waves of desire that coil around me in a tight vise of want. His body pressed against mine triggers a rush of uncontainable heat. Nothing in my limited experience compares to this kiss.
I drop my hands and wrap them around his waist, wanting to be impossibly closer. We share air, breathing together, his hands curved around my neck, tilting my head to the side so he can linger and nip at my bottom lip. I groan into his mouth, desperate for more.
A wolf whistle breaks through the lust haze, and Alex pulls back as people step around us, laughing.
Breaking apart, we stare at each other, breathing heavily.
Oh. Right. We’re standing in the middle of the sidewalk on Grant Avenue.
He leans in again, hands gripping my waist. Then he rests his forehead against mine.
“So. Dinner? Tomorrow?”
Chills weave up my spine, driving away the desire burning me up only moments ago.
“Dinner. Tomorrow,” I agree. Because what else can I do? There will be no dinner tomorrow. But the knot in my chest lightens a little. There might not be dinner, but there will be another first kiss, and that is something to look forward to.
Maybe this isn’t such a terrible day to relive after all.
Chapter Ten
“Sprinkle me.”
I wake up with a smile, rolling over to scream into my pillow. Wow. Yes. I can do this again. I can get through this terrible day, knowing what awaits me at the end if I play my cards right.
I can’t get over the idea that he would pick me, me. I never would have imagined.
My mind runs over our every interaction, from our first meeting to every conversation and nuanced look, every subtle touch . . . all things I ignored because it was so farfetched. Then the moment together in the closet that wasn’t. I just knew he took off because I was awkward and ridiculous. But I was wrong. I was so sure he had me removed from his team because he was uncomfortable around me. But I read the situation completely wrong.
Maybe my luck is changing. Maybe things will be different now.
“Jane, you just don’t fit.”
Then again, maybe not.
Okay, so not everything will be different, but being fired hurts a whole lot less knowing I get to make out with Alex later.
It’s hard to play it cool around him. Not that I’ve ever played anything cool in my life. I can’t stop grinning when I see him after my latest firing.
“I got fired!” I’ve never been so happy to admit to failure in my life.
A surprised laugh. “Is that a good thing?”
“Oh.” I force my smile down. I can’t let him know I’m happy, what if he doesn’t invite me to the show? “It’s terrible. I’m not happy.”
“You’re not?”
“I’m very depressed.” I suck at subterfuge.
“Well, since you clearly need cheering up, you could come check out my band? We’re opening at the Saloon. I’ll buy you a drink.”
Cool. Play it cool, Jane. “Yes.”
His brows lift. “Yes? It’s that easy.”
I laugh, unable to stop the bubble of joy careening through me. I want to kiss him again. Now. But what if I make it mega weird and he changes his mind?
My smile droops.
He’s going to think I’ve lost my mind.
“I’ll see you later.” I run away before I can do something stupid like throw myself at him and ruin the only good thing that happens on this godforsaken Monday.
“I wish you had said something to me before.” Before today. Then maybe we would have had a chance to go on that first date. Instead, I’m destined to stand here, outside of the Saloon every night, listening to Alex apologize for moving me from his team over and over again before we can get to the good stuff. Not that I’m complaining.
He rubs his chin. “I thought you were with Mark. And honestly, I thought you knew.”
“How could I have known?”
“I thought you’d notice that I’ve been showing up at Blue Wave even when I don’t need anything.”
My brows lift. “You have?”
“Well. Yeah. At this point, everything could be handled with a phone call or delivered by a courier.” He shakes his head. “Do you have any other clients hanging around post-production three times a week?”
I laugh. “I guess not. I never really thought about it.”
“I can’t believe you didn’t notice. I thought I was so obvious.”
It’s pure greed inducing me to ask. “You came in just to see me?” The thought makes me all fluttery. I still can’t believe it.
“Is that so surprising?”
I nod. “Yes. Actually. It is.”
“Why?” His brow furrows.
“I’m me and you’re you.”
He shakes his head. “You need to give yourself more credit.”
“I guess.”
He steps toward me, his hands coming up to my face. “Now that we’re on the same page, if I were to, say, ask you to dinner sometime or something, you would say . . . ?”
I grin. “Yes. Of course, yes.”
He steps closer again.
And it’s just as breathtaking as before.
He kisses me like he’s been waiting to kiss me for months. It’s tentative at first, slow and savoring. His hand comes up to my jaw, tilting my head just so, and then the kiss morphs from sweet and sensual to an exploratory seduction. His tongue slides against mine and a blast of burning desire surges through me.
I wrap my arms around him, tugging him against me, needing to be closer, persuading him with tongue and lips and teeth.
The whistle sounds again.
We break apart, the group of laughing people walking around us. Alex tugs me back against him, his head resting against mine.
“Wow.” The word is a tickle on my lips and we take a minute to catch our breath. “So. Dinner? Tomorrow?”
My hands clench around his waist. “Yes. Tomorrow.”
“Wow.” He pulls back to
