by Lacey Black
Because, even though it’s been a while for me, there’s no doubt in my mind Malcolm wants me. The erection that brushed against my body is the first indication. The other is the look in his eyes when I glance over my shoulder. It’s raw, hungry, and makes me shiver in anticipation.
“One more, please,” Malcolm states to the bartender without removing his gaze from me.
A few seconds later, a fresh beer bottle in the brand I’ve been drinking all night is placed in front of me, and before I can pull cash from the wristlet attached to my arm, money is exchanged.
I take the drink and turn to face the man who has bought every single drink I’ve had this evening. “Thank you, but I’m fully capable of purchasing my own beer.”
“I’m well aware, Lenora. Having a good evening?” he asks as we step away from the bar to allow others to place orders.
“I am, thanks. You?” I bring my bottle to my lips and take a drink and notice how his gaze follows my movements.
“I am. The view has been…incredible.” He has the softest smile on his lips, one that makes him look incredibly kissable.
Maybe I don’t need any more to drink…
“Hey!” Laken hollers, throwing her arm around my waist.
I grin instantly. “I love drunk Laken. She’s so fun,” I tell my sister.
“No more to drink! The last time I drank too much, you let Gray carry me up the stairs, and I smelled him!” my sister declares, her glassy eyes narrowing into little slits.
“Yes, but if I had left it up to you, you’d still be a lovesick puppy staring at him from the corner of the room, too afraid to make a move. I still wish I had recorded it,” I tease, glancing to Malcolm. “It was the best.”
Laken hits me on the arm. Not hard, but still. “You’re mean.”
I giggle, which causes her to giggle. Then Justine and Charlee join us and start laughing too.
“What are they laughing about?” Grayson asks Malcolm.
Malcolm just shakes his head and hollers over the music, “Not sure, and I’m pretty sure none of them know either.”
Just then, a slow ballad begins, and we all start swaying to the music. “I love this song,” Justine says.
“Me too. Come on, Grayson,” Laken requests, reaching out her hand for the man she loves. He takes it, kisses the top of her knuckles, and leads her to the dance floor. I can’t help but swoon just a bit, as he takes my sister to the dance floor and pulls her close. I’m so grateful they have each other. I know it wasn’t easy for him, taking the chance on love a second time, especially after losing his first wife, but I’m so happy he did.
My sister has never been happier.
Charlee and Grady walk out next, followed by a whole slew of other couples. Justine remains at my side, since Tucker’s a little busy singing, as does Malcolm.
Suddenly, a young woman pushes her way between us and practically throws herself at Malcolm. “Come on, Malcolm. Let’s dance,” she slurs, clearly a tad bit tipsy.
“Sorry, darlin’, but I don’t dance.” He throws her a wink before bringing his beer to his lips and gazing out at the growing dancing crowd.
“Awww,” she pouts, literally jutting out her heavily painted bottom lip. “Well, if dancing isn’t your thing, we could always go hang out elsewhere.” The way she practically coos as she strokes his arm lets anyone within hearing distance know exactly what she means.
A wave of nausea hits me, the beer suddenly not sitting well in my gut.
I look away quickly, wishing I weren’t standing right here. I mean, Malcolm is free to do whatever—or whoever—he wants to do, right? He’s single, and I have no claim on him whatsoever. Yet, it feels like someone punched me in the stomach as I picture him going off with this girl.
The jealousy is real, and I don’t like it.
I’m just about to excuse myself, to go anywhere but here, but am stopped in my tracks with his next words.
“You know, I think I will dance,” he says, the deep, sexy timbre of his voice sending my stomach straight down to my toes. He holds out his hand, but not in her direction.
I glance down, shocked to see it in front of me.
“Lenora, shall we?”
Chapter 13
Malcolm
She looks at my hand as if it were a snake about to bite her. Her stunned hazel eyes finally move up to meet mine, and it feels like I’m struck by lightning. I’m so fucking drawn to her it’s not funny, but I know this connection is more than just attraction. There’s this deep-down longing to get to know her better, and not just on a physical level.
Though, that desire level is pretty strong too.
Completely ignoring the woman in front of me, I take Lenora’s beer and set it on the closest table. Then, I take her hand in my own and lead her to the dance floor. I can feel eyes on me, no doubt about it, but I don’t care. Let them talk.
When I pull her into my arms and draw her close, it feels too right. Even though she’s much shorter than me, our bodies align perfectly.
For dancing.
And other things too…
We dance in perfect rhythm, but I already knew we would. I watched the way she moved all night, her hips swaying to the beat, her body moving as if it were made for dancing. I’ve been completely enthralled—and maybe a little hard—since the first time she took the floor, trying to hide behind her friends.
After a few minutes, the song rolls into a second slow song, and I almost turn around and tell Tucker thank you. I’m not ready to let go of her yet. I feel her shift closer, her hands gripping the back of my shirt. Leni rests her cheek on my chest and sighs. I can feel her pressed firmly against me, and fuck, if I don’t really like it.
A lot.
“You’re a pretty good dancer for someone who can’t dance.” I glance down, meeting her curious gaze.
“I didn’t say I can’t dance; I just don’t do it.”
“Why?” she asks, keeping perfect time to the beat.
I take a breath, inhaling the sweet scent of her shampoo. Her hair is down and straight, my fingers itch to slide through the soft strands. “It’s just not my thing.”
“Maybe you’re worried about having two left feet,” she teases, wrinkling her nose as she grins.
“Maybe I just haven’t had the right partner.”
The humor slowly falls from her face as she gazes up at me. The need to kiss her has never been stronger than it is right now. I find myself leaning forward, my lips seeking hers out, needing to taste them.
She tips her chin and licks her lips as she goes up on her tiptoes. Just before we meet in the middle, I hear a loud gasp to my immediate right. The noise startles both of us, and we jolt back.
“Oh, you were about to kiss!” Laken bellows, her eyes wide with drunken excitement.
“Yeah, thanks for that, Lake.”
“Did I spoil it?” she asks, just as the song ends, and to be honest, I’m not sure if I’m grateful or upset. The fact that I almost kissed Leni here, in a packed bar, is probably not my smartest move. I’m usually much smoother than that. But on the other hand, I really wanted to kiss her, even if it’s in the middle of Pony Up and will result in front page gossip talk by morning.
Leni just shakes her head at her sister and drops her arms. I miss them instantly. A new song starts up, this one much more upbeat, and as we step off the floor, I feel her hand brush against my leg. My entire body is alive and hot, like a volcano slowly spreading through my veins.
“Leni and Malcolm almost kissed!” Laken announced to the girls the moment we get back to the small table we’ve been occupying.
“Almost?” Justine asks, her eyes wide.
A blush creeps up Leni’s neck as she tries to hide behind her hair. “Let’s not talk about it,” she insists, grabbing her drink and taking a long pull.
All of the women, well, except for Leni, turn to me and give a simultaneous, “Aww.”
I can’t help but laugh as I shake my head. “I’ll be bac
k, ladies,” I say, excusing myself to use the restroom.
Of course, on the way, I run into several people who want to stop and chat. Good thing I don’t really have to use the bathroom. It was an excuse to step away for a few minutes and clear my head. Being so close to her, especially after holding her in my arms, is giving me all sorts of ideas about how I want this night to end, and if I’m being honest with myself, I don’t want to rush it with her. Usually, I’d flirt and make my intentions known, but with Leni, I’m taking a different approach.
It takes much longer for me to return to the group I’ve been hanging with all night, and as I approach where the ladies are gathered, I’m surprised by their conversation.
“Really? You’ve never had one?” Justine gapes across the group, directly at Leni, catching my attention.
“Come on, you guys. I was with Greg on and off since college, and before that, there was only a totally drunk guy at a frat party and Tony back in high school, and kissing him was like having my face licked by a dog,” Leni replies, making the girls giggle.
“You knew with Grayson though, right?” Charlee asks Laken, who’s already nodding.
“I totally knew. Our first kiss was quick, but it was the sweetest. Gray asked me if he could kiss me, and I said yes. It was…perfect,” Laken replies, her voice all syrupy and far-off.
“Aww,” the others fuss together.
“I can’t believe you’ve never had an epic kiss,” Charlee states, all eyes on Leni.
Laken just gapes at her sister. “How is this possible?”
She shrugs. “I don’t know, I guess I’ve just never really thought about it. Greg was…he was comfortable.”
“But he never blew your socks off,” Justine deduces.
I watch as Leni shakes her head. I think about all the kisses I’ve had—and yes, I’ve had my fair share of them—but quickly realize, while some have been pretty damn good, I wouldn’t consider any of them epic. Kissing was always a prelude to sex. It was enjoyable, yet necessary to get to the next step. I have never kissed a woman just for the sake of kissing her, mostly because I always knew it was leading somewhere.
But staring at Leni, seeing the disappointment on her face at never experiencing a great kiss, makes me yearn for more. To show her just how fucking beautiful, how fucking worthy she is. And the weirdest part? I don’t even care about the “next step.” Sure, I’d love to get naked with her, but that’s not all I want. I want her to always think about me the next time she’s asked about epic kisses.
I want to be hers.
My feet are moving before I can stop myself. I slip easily between those around her and step directly in front of Leni. My hands thread into her soft hair as her eyes widen in surprise. I don’t think. Hell, I don’t even think I breathe. I give her a split second to stop me before I take her lips with my own.
The moment we touch, it’s like…magic.
Gasps echo around me, but then they suddenly fade away as I slowly deepen the kiss. The room is suddenly silent as she moves against my mouth, her hands gripping my shirt at my sides. She tastes as sweet as honey. Her lips are like sin, ripe and made for kissing.
I want more.
My tongue slides along the seam of her mouth, and the moment it opens, I delve inside, tasting, savoring, and quickly realizing I could kiss this woman forever and never get enough.
When I finally rip my lips from hers, we both suck in a greedy breath of oxygen. I crack open my eyes to see hers still closed and her lips all swollen and enticing. I’m a nanosecond away from starting the kiss all over again when she faintly whispers, “Wow.”
“Wow is right. Holy crap, that was hot.” Laken’s words slowly permeate the lust-filled fog in my brain.
Leni opens her eyes, and the moment they focus on me, she softly smiles. Then as quick as that smile appears, it’s ripped away. Those hazel orbs widen in shock as she looks around. “Holy shit,” she mumbles as a blush creeps up her neck. Those delicate little fingers that were once gripping my shirt are now touching her cheeks, trying to cool the heat of her embarrassment.
Knowing I need to say something, I step forward and lower my mouth to her ear. Instantly, I can smell the sweetness of her hair, which only kicks up the desire to kiss her once more. “Holy shit is right. Best. Kiss. Ever,” I murmur just loud enough for her to hear over the noise of the bar.
She turns those startled eyes my way and grins. “Epic.”
“I’m pretty sure every cell phone in the place was pointed at you two,” Justine says over the rim of her glass.
“Great, just what I needed,” Leni grumbles with an eye roll.
I should feel bad about that, because of me, she’ll be the talk of the town for the foreseeable future, but I can’t seem to find the gumption to get too worked up. Not after that kiss. It will forever be burned into my memory, the kiss I would forever compare all other kisses to.
But I don’t care. I’ve never experienced anything like that, and all I want is to do it again.
And again…
I stay close to her but let her do her thing as the night winds down. Our sides brush against each other as we visit with friends, and I can’t stop the desire that swirls in my gut as her soft hair tickles my arm. All I can think about was how it felt to have it threaded between my fingers as I kissed her.
Once last call is offered, our small group starts to dissipate. I wave goodbye to the others yet remain very near to Leni. I know she walked here, but I want to be the one to take her home. No, I need to be the one.
“Do you want a ride?” her sister asks as she threads her arms around Grayson. There’s no missing the way her gaze moves from Leni to me, as if looking for confirmation that I’m taking her home.
“No, I’m okay to walk. You two enjoy the rest of your kid-free night.”
Laken looks up at me, as if seeking confirmation her sister will get home safely, to which I nod in agreement. No way am I letting her just walk home. Even in a safe town like Mason Creek, I’m not leaving it to chance. Plus, I’d rather have her in my car, and maybe in my arms once more before the night is through. I’d definitely be okay with replaying that kiss.
“Night,” Laken says, pulling her older sister into a quick hug. She turns to me next and wraps her arms around my shoulders. “Please be good to her,” she whispers just loud enough for only my ears to hear.
A sobering feeling slides through my veins. Leni’s been jacked around by her ex for years, and the last thing I want is to do the same. I’ve never been a relationship guy, but I wasn’t lying when I told her in those texts that I want to try.
Sooner, rather than later.
“Ready?” I ask as Leni sets her empty bottle down on the closest table.
She looks at me curiously. “I’m okay to walk.”
I nod, completely prepared for a rebuttal. “I know you are, but why walk when I’m perfectly capable of driving you home?”
Her eyes fill with skepticism. “You drank too.”
“I did,” I start, placing my hand on her lower back and guiding her through the busy bar, “but I only had two drinks hours ago. I’ve been drinking water since.” I notice several probing sets of eyes following us as we push through the door and step out into the warm summer night, but I ignore them and the questions they ask.
She stops on the sidewalk, making sure we’re out of the way from others leaving. “But I literally live right there,” she says, pointing to where the laundromat sits a block and a half away.
I step forward, leaning in close. “I know, but if you walk, I won’t be able to steal another kiss before I say goodnight.”
Leni smiles, her features softening with the simplest of gestures. “Okay. Thank you.”
Leading her to my car, I keep my hand on her back and escort her. She slips onto the buttery-soft leather seats easily, and I can’t help but watch how her palm gently glides over the material. It makes me wish her hand was rubbing something else…
We’re both q
uiet as I drive to where she lives, wishing it wouldn’t be so weird to take a longer route. Moments later, I’m pulling into the back where her car is parked and stopping beside the door. “Wait for me.” Jumping out, I move to the passenger door and hold it open, trying to be the perfect gentleman.
“Thanks.” Even under the dim security light, I can see the blush on her cheeks.
As we slowly approach the rear entrance of her building, I reach for her hand. Leni steps up on the single concrete step at her door and turns to face me. She’s still not quite to my height, but it raises her enough to the right goodnight kiss level.
“What are you plans tomorrow?” I ask, stepping forward until we’re almost chest to chest.
“Oh, well, I’ll have to pick Trace up from my parents’ house after breakfast, and we usually do our grocery shopping at some point. Why?”
I link our fingers and meet those intoxicating hazel eyes. “I was going to see if you’d like to hang out with me tomorrow, and I knew you’d probably have Trace, since he was with your parents tonight. I thought maybe we could all go fishing or maybe out to my grandparents’ place. We can fish in their pond and ride a four-wheeler around their property.”
“I don’t know how to ride a four-wheeler,” she confesses.
“You don’t have to know how unless you want to learn. We can take their four-seater UTV. It even has seat belts for Champ.” It’s weird for me to say that. I’ve never been concerned about safety features like belts before, but in the short time I’ve known Lenora, I know it’s important and something she’d want to know to ensure her son’s safety.
“Okay.”
I instantly smile. “Yeah?”
She nods and returns my grin. “Yes.”
I move forward just a whisper, until I’m almost touching her. “Can I kiss you goodnight?”
“I’d be sad if you didn’t,” she murmurs, tilting her head upward.
As I lean down, she closes her eyes, but I leave mine open. I want to see her face while I claim her mouth with my own. Her lips are so eager, so pliant against mine it’s hard to not deepen it or take it farther. But I don’t.