Page 72 of Coerced

His eyes roamed over my body from head to toe and back again. Paxton wasn’t the least bit embarrassed that heallowed his eyes to linger on my legs, hips, and breasts. When he finished taking me in, he stepped forward and said, “I can’t wait. I was going to try to be a gentleman tonight, but I’m not waiting until later to kiss you.”

I had just enough time to brace myself before his lips came crashing down on mine, his hands holding either side of my face. Despite having been kissed by him yesterday, with his mouth on mine now, it was like being kissed by him for the first time.

Because this kiss was different. Where there was a hint of possessiveness in his hold as he kissed me last night, the kisses themselves were mostly sweet and tender. They were soft and slow.

This was not the same. This kiss was rough and wet and hungry. This kiss was about a man staking a claim.

I wasn’t quite sure Paxton had gotten his fill—I certainly hadn’t—by the time he tore his mouth from mine. We weren’t even five minutes into this date, and we were both struggling to catch our breath.

“That was nice,” I whispered.

Paxton brushed his lips against mine, sending a shiver down my spine while giving me that softness again, and smiled. “Yeah,” he whispered back. “If I didn’t feel this strongly about taking you out, starting this night off right, and giving you the evening you deserve, I’d be content to stay here with you, so we could do more of that.”

There was so much he wanted to give me; I thought it was only fair he had something to look forward to as well.

So, holding on tight to him, I brushed my lips lightly against his and reasoned, “Who said we couldn’t do that when we get back?”

The grin on Paxton’s face grew. “Certainly not me.”

Soft laughter spilled out of me; I was giddy with anticipation. “The sooner we get out of here, the sooner we’ll get back,” I teased.

“Based on what I saw the second you opened the door, it looks like you’re ready to go.”

I nodded. “Yes.”

I had assumed Paxton would wait while I grabbed my keys and purse, so I could lock up, but he surprised me when he asked, “Are we saying goodbye to Sasha before we leave?”

My heart exploded in my chest. Obviously, I already knew he was an animal lover, but there was something about him asking if we were going to say goodbye to my cat before we left that had me ready to pull him back in for another kiss.

Instead of doing that, I asked, “You don’t mind?”

Through his laughter, he shared, “I would have been here five minutes earlier if I hadn’t needed to do the same with my animals.”

As I stepped back and allowed Paxton to follow me into the house, I reasoned, “As much as I’m sure they miss you when you leave, they probably do okay since they have each other for company. I’ve been trying my best all day to make up for the fact that I wouldn’t be here this evening.”

“Maybe it’s time for another,” he suggested.

I shook my head. “Let’s not get crazy now.”

Unsurprisingly, Sasha strolled right over to Paxton the moment she spotted him. I watched as he crouched down to show her some love, and sighed my frustration when she started purring against him almost immediately.

We took another minute or two with Sasha, and then we were on our way.

Once Paxton had pulled out of the driveway, I asked, “So, where are we heading for dinner tonight?”

“It’s this place called The Ridge.”

Something pitched in my belly as soon as he shared that news. Convinced I must have misheard him, I replied, “The Ridge?”

“Yeah, it’s probably the nicest restaurant in town,” he shared nonchalantly.

Though his eyes were focused on the road, I stared at him, unsure of how to feel. As someone who was so used to hiding how she felt, I couldn’t even begin to pretend I wasn’t affected by the idea of us going to The Ridge.

Because the conversation I’d had with Mallory and Magnolia popped into my head. They said I’d know how serious Paxton was for me once he took me to The Ridge.

Granted, I knew how much I liked him and wanted more with him. But from what I’d been told, this restaurant was something I wouldn’t have expected for a first dinner date. Were Mallory and Magnolia wrong? Or was Paxton that serious about me?

Paxton glanced over at me briefly and asked, “Is that okay? You haven’t been there yet, have you?”