Page 28 of Restless Ink

“Can you spare some time for coffee with me? I know you’re working so I’m not going to force you into it. The fact that you’re letting me into the building at all is a step.”

“I wouldn’t force you out of Colorado Icing.”

“Maybe not, but you’d be so polite about it that it would hurt to know that I broke what we had.”

She looked behind him, then gestured for one of her staff to mind the counter. “Come back to the office with me.”

His brows rose, but he followed.

“Sorry, I know most of the people in here since they’re all regulars, and while I don’t want to hide anything, even if there ends up being nothing between us, I also don’t need to advertise my personal life.”

“Understandable, I’m a teacher. I get it. But I hope there’s not nothing between us.” He sighed. “I hate double negatives.”

“They sometimes work, though. As for what you said back there… It wouldn’t have been you that broke what we had. It would have been the two of us together. I hope you realize that.”

Then she took a deep breath and told him exactly what Molly had said when they talked. The comically wide eyes on his face made her lips twitch even as she totally understood his reaction.

“Seriously? I…I don’t get it.”

“I don’t either, but I also can’t find a reason why she’d lie. Not even to cover up any hurt. She’d have said something like she was fine with it, but she wouldn’t have actively put us together in her response. Or at least tried to.”

Dimitri reached out and brushed his knuckle along Thea’s cheek, and the fact that she didn’t pull away spoke volumes about what her decision might be when it came to him.

“She’s not part ofthis, not really. And while I don’t want to hurt her, I think we both need to understand that.”

She nodded at his words, letting out a slow breath. “But I don’t know whatthisis.”

“Then that’s something we need to figure out.” He paused. “I’m not in love with Molly, Thea. I haven’t been in a long time. Too long, frankly. We aren’t married anymore, and the only reason I see her is because of Captain. I don’t hate her, I don’t dislike her, but she’s also not really a part of my life. I know she is a part of yours, and it might be hard to juggle that, so whatever you need from me, I can do. But there’s something between us. I can feel it. I won’t be an ass and say I know you feel it, too, because I’m not going to assume or tell you your feelings. But what I can say is that I don’t think what happened between us was a mistake. I think that, eventually, without booze and without Twister, we would have fallen into each other like we did anyway. Or, at least that’s what I wanted. So, what do you say, Thea? Will you take a chance on me?”

Thea pressed her lips together before giving him a slow nod. “I think…I think I have to, even as we try to be careful.”

Dimitri immediately relaxed, his shoulders lowering, though he still had his hand on her face. “Good.”

Then he lowered his head, his lips pressing firmly against hers, and she opened for him, wanting more, craving more.

She had no sugar in her system to blame, no booze.

This was all her and Dimitri.

All heat, tongues, and heavy breaths.

Dimitri bit her lower lip, and she shivered, arching into him even though he wasn’t fully touching her. When he took a step toward her, coming so close she could feel the heat of him against her, she took an involuntary step back, needing to breathe. His presence was so large, it made her knees shake.

That one step pressed her lower back and butt against her desk, and she sucked in a breath. His eyes danced as he moved even closer, the slight gap between them a thing of the past as he lowered his head and took her mouth again. She was caught, locked in place, and melting into him all at once.

She wanted him, needed more of him, and couldn’t help but wrap her arms around his neck and part her lips for him. She wanted to slide up on top of her desk and part herlegs, but she knew they didn’t have time for that.

Not yet.

But soon.

When they parted and went to the front for coffee, she knew it was a step—a huge one that wasn’t that big at all.

She didn’t know what was to come, but Dimitri was right, therewassomething between them. She just hoped that despite Molly’s blessing, she didn’t ruin it all.

Chapter 12

Brushes With Lushes was one of the best times of the month in Thea’s opinion. Kaylee was not only a fantastic artist, but she also used her studio and warehouse to host individual art lessons, as well as nighttime theme events such as Brushes With Lushes.