“Oh, come on.” I was joking, but did she really not believe she would fall in love with someone incredible? Someone like me, maybe?
The thought floated in one side of my mind and out the other, especially after all her declarations about where she would live and what she would do.
“Yeah, never mind,” she said quickly. “That was silly for me to say.”
Letting it slide because this felt so comfortable, I said, “Come here.” I took her Kindle and set it aside before pulling her onto my lap. “I don’t know what to make of all this. Is it serendipitous? Is it a curse?”
The last part earned me a giggle.
“I mean it, Murph, you tortured my thoughts for years. That doesn’t mean I’ve been a monk since high school,” I said, and she let out another giggle just for me. “It means you’re here, and you’re way better than I could have ever dreamed.”
Murphy swallowed and licked her lips, presumably thinking of what to say. Not wanting to wait, I swooped in to kiss her.
Pressing my lips to hers, I took my time. Slow and patient, I explored her lips, so much softer than mine. When she moaned, my tongue found its way inside her mouth. Another moan brought me the touch of her tongue against mine.
Murphy shifted, moving to straddle my lap, never breaking the kiss.
I pulled her in tight, and she ground down on my hardness. It was better than I’d imagined and torturous at the same time. My hands wanted to rip her shirt off, and my body told me to toss her onto the couch and climb on top of her. My mind, the spoilsport, said to slow down. Running my hand through her hair, I continued to make love to her mouth, catching her soft whimpers, committing them to memory.
“Murph,” I whispered, and she stroked her tongue along mine before pulling back to see me. “This feels so good. You feel so good.”
“I want more, but it’s been a while . . . and I’ve never been very good at all this.” Burrowing her forehead in my shoulder, she said, “I don’t mean the actual act. I meant getting involved.”
“You don’t have to worry with me. I’m patient. Cautious. I want to be careful with your heart because I need you to be careful with mine. You’ve only been back in my life for a few days, and I want you so much.”
“Then have me,” she said, leaning in for another kiss.
I devoured her, drinking in this new Murphy, one kiss at a time. Pulling back again, I nibbled on her ear. “I will have you, but not now. I’m in this for the long haul. There’s no rush, trust me,” I said low, filling her head with promises.
She nodded, but with a far-off look in her eyes that I couldn’t read. Didn’t she believe me? Or was it something else?
Weaving my fingers through hers, I kissed her one more time, a closed-mouthed kiss full of promise and wishful thinking, before standing and tugging her up with me. I gathered her close, running my lips along her forehead.
“Go back to your book, Murph, and don’t think so hard. I’ll see you soon.” With that, I let myself out, only realizing when I got to my car that I’d made promises to Murphy without even getting her cell phone number.
This was what she did to me. You’d think she’d have less of an effect after all these years, but nope.
11
Murphy
I will have you, but not now. I’m in this for the long haul. There’s no rush.
That’s what Ben had said, leaving me breathless with those simple words. Of course, part of me couldn’t believe it because he didn’t even have my phone number, but I still hoped.
“Earth to Murphy,” Zara sang into my ear on Monday.
“Oh, sorry. I was spaced out. But we aren’t busy.”
Zara grinned. “No worries. Anything going on you want to chat about?”
Figuring now was as good a time as any to let her know about Hunnie, I said, “If it’s cool with you, I’m going to help Hunnie out with her honey. I don’t think it will take away from my time or work here because it’s only an internship. At least, that’s what Hunnie is calling it.”
Blowing out a big breath, I felt the stray hair sticking to my cheek flutter across my skin. My hair really needed a deep conditioning. Mentally, I made a note to look into home remedies.
Zara gave me a confused look. “Murphy, no offense, but I know you graduated from college a while ago. You’ve had real-life work experience, so why an internship?”
Shrugging, I said, “It just works for me now. Getting my feet wet again.”
“Look, it’s not my business, but if you want to talk, I’m here. Also, Gigi’s back this week, so you should pop over and meet her. I know you like her cupcakes, but she could be a good friend to you.”
Glancing at the wall clock, I said, “Look at that, time for me to go. So, you’re cool with me working with Hunnie? She’s waiting for me to call.”
I didn’t want to blow Zara off, but I wasn’t in the mood for a heart-to-heart. Learning about my past only made people pity me, and truthfully, I didn’t deserve it. After all, I was the one who’d been blind to how out of it I was. It took me forever to understand Ben actually liked me, and I didn’t want anyone to know how clueless I was.
“It’s cool,” Zara said, waving me off. “Hunnie’s a good one. Love what she’s doing with the infusions.”
I nodded. “Okay, see you tomorrow afternoon.” Walking out from behind the bar, I untied my apron.
“Maybe the doc will be in?” Zara called
