Page 30 of Singled Out
The last part was like a stab to my chest, but I merely nodded.
“I don’t have that. Someone would have to take my shifts at the diner, but anyone could do that.” She bit down on her lip, visibly struggling. It was my turn to take her hand. “I’ve been so adamantly against settling down, but this Naomi thing…” She shook her head. “It’s kind of flipping my life on its head.”
“Traumatic events can do that.”
She whipped her gaze toward me. “This must sound stupid compared to becoming a dad all of a sudden.”
“It’s not stupid. Maybe less tangible but no less significant. Sometimes less tangible can be even harder to figure out.”
“Harder than a baby?” The tips of her lips flirted with a smile. “I don’t think so.”
“Harder to acknowledge, maybe. But you just acknowledged it.” I thought about our conversation in the car, about her refusal to choose a path. I knew better than to use that P-word, but it seemed that’s what she was lacking. “Out of all the things you told me you enjoy earlier, which ones do you like best? What could you see getting up in the morning to do every day?”
She peered at me for several seconds, but I couldn’t read her expression. I was starting to think I’d pushed too much.
Before I could decide whether I should back down, Harper put her hand on the back of my head and pulled me toward her until our mouths collided in an ungentle kiss.
Her lips pressed against mine. Then, before I could register the taste of her, she pulled back, leaving half an inch of space between us as our gazes met and we took each other in.
I could pull away. I knew I could end this, but I wasn’t thinking so much as reacting. I wanted a better taste of her.
I reached for her, ran my hand through her hair to grasp her head and bring her soft, alluring mouth back to mine. She met me halfway, our breaths mingling as we kissed, our lips lingering, tasting. When our tongues touched, a groan escaped from me. Our connection exploded as our tongues twisted and probed at each other.
My body was all on board in mere seconds, aching for more of her. She ran her hand up my bare chest. All I could think about was more skin-to-skin contact. Our positions were awkward though. Moving would mean breaking contact, and I couldn’t get enough of her sweet taste, her confident kiss.
Before I could think past that need, she ended the kiss, ducking her chin, both of us catching our breath.
She took her hand back and faced straight ahead again, not looking at me.
“I don’t want to talk about what might drive me,” she said quietly, “and I definitely don’t want to talk about kissing you.”
Harper stood, the water pouring off her lower body. I sat there in the shallow water, my brain still trying to catch up, torn between wanting to follow her to the guest room and knowing damn well it was smarter to let her walk away.
“I’m sorry, Max. I’m going to dry off and try to sleep.”
Before I could figure out what to say, she pivoted, waded out of the lake, and headed to her room.
I sat there, my pulse still pounding blood down to my dick, as I tried to figure out what the fuck had just happened.
Chapter Ten
Harper
What had I done?
What the hell had I been thinking?
Why, why, why had I kissed Max? Shirtless, irresistible Max who I was not supposed to kiss?
The questions pounded through me with every step up that hill away from him.
I full well knew the answers, I admitted as I let myself into the guest bedroom.
I’d been thinking, Distract! Divert attention! Do whatever you can to change the subject!
I’d changed the subject from what I might want to do for the rest of my life, all right, and I’d screwed myself well and good in the process, because I was not going to forget what it felt like to kiss Max Dawson anytime soon.
I peeled my wet boxers and cami off, patted my body dry with a thick towel from the bathroom, and pulled on the running shorts and cropped tee I’d brought to wear in the morning. As I was towel drying my hair, a distant sound caught my attention. I froze to try to hear it better.