Maybe I wasn’t giving myself enough credit. I didn’t want to think about things like that right now, because the dinner was sort of perfect, and the steady internal stream of nonsense was ruining it.
Night had fallen when we left the restaurant and bright stars blanketed the onyx sky. He kept his hand on my lower back until we reached his truck. It was such a simple gesture, but I felt like there was so much meaning to it.
The ride back to my place was quiet as I was lost in my own thoughts, replaying the dinner over and over. I wasn’t even aware of the fact that we were at my house until he parked the truck.
I glanced at him in the dark interior of the truck, half hopeful that he would come in and partly terrified that he would.
One hand rested on the steering wheel as his gaze met mine and held. His features were shadowed, so I had no idea what he was thinking. “Walk you to the door?”
“Sure.” Disappointment snapped at my heels. So he didn’t want to come in? Did I want him to come in? Colton dropped his hand from the steering wheel and reached over, and as he unbuckled my seatbelt, his hand brushed along my stomach. A series of shivers danced over my skin.
Oh yeah, I wanted him to come in. Like that door was wide open.
We walked to the front door, silent with the exception of the humming of crickets. I didn’t know what to say when we reached my door and I dug my keys out, unlocking it. I wished I could be brave and confident, invite him in with a sexy little grin, but it had been so long since I’d done this.
Actually, I’d never really done this before. Kevin and I had done the dating thing while in high school. Parents were involved then. Dates ended at the door and picked up again with late-night phone calls. This was a whole different ballpark I had no experience in. I looked up at him, drawing in a shallow breath.
He was staring down at me, and even though I couldn’t see his eyes, I could feel his gaze, it was that intense. “I had a really good time tonight.”
“So did I.” I was breathless as I opened the door and stepped inside. When I turned to him and looked up once more, whatever I was about to say faded, lost in the space between us.
There was a certain intent to the line of his mouth, and I knew before he even lowered his head, that he was going to kiss me. The breath I took got stuck in my throat as he cupped my cheek with one hand, tilting my head back. He brushed his lips over mine like he had done the night before, tentative and questioning. There was something so sweet about the kiss as we stood with me just inside the door and him leaning in.
Last night had been the first time I’d been kissed in four years. This being the second time, instinct quickly took over. Or maybe it was simply just arousal. Pleasure darted as I tilted my head to the side, and when the tip of his tongue touched the seam of my mouth, sweetness was the furthest thing from my mind.
The kiss deepened as our tongues tangled. My hands ended up on his chest and his delved into my hair as his arm circled my waist, drawing me tight to his front. I felt him then, hard against my belly, and feeling just how effected he was had my blood simmering.
The fear of things escalating took a backseat, still there but not consuming my attention. I couldn’t think around his kisses, could barely breathe, and somehow, we were moving. I heard the door slam shut behind us and then my back was pressed against the wall and there was no space between us.
“I’ve been wanting to do that since I saw you in this dress,” he admitted, and then kissed me before I could respond.
I clung to his shoulders as his hand slipped down my side, curling around my thigh, just below my hip, leaving behind a wake of shivers.
Lifting his mouth from mine, he breathed heavily. “I told myself I was going to behave tonight.”
My hands clenched over his shoulders, wrinkling the material of his shirt. “You’re not?”
He kissed my jaw. “Well, I was planning on being a gentleman.”
“Why?” I asked, surprising myself.
“Hell. Good question.” His lips moved over my neck as I tipped my head back against the wall. “I’m not even sure.”
I gasped when I felt his tongue circle where my pulse pounded.
“I just can’t keep my hands off you.” He lifted my leg just enough that he was able to settle his hips against my core, and oh God, the ache that blossomed almost made me weep. “Damn,” he groaned, burying his face in my neck. “That didn’t help.”
My chest rose and fell sharply. “No. No, it didn’t.”
A deep groan rumbled out of him, and I felt his hand on my thigh move, slipping under the hem of my skirt. The glide of his palm against my bare skin shook me, pushing a soft moan out from between my parted lips, and that was nothing compared to what came next. He dragged his hand up and over, cupping my rear as he pushed his hips in. Muscles coiled in response.
He dragged his lips up my throat, finding my mouth as his hand kneaded my bottom. The kiss rocked me, and there was little doubt in my mind that I’d stop him if he pulled my panties down and took me right against the wall. The mere thought of him doing so burned my skin, twisted up my insides in a crazy way.
The attraction I felt toward him was startling.
His kiss slowed as he dragged his hand out from under my dress. “Okay,” he murmured. “I told myself I wasn’t going to do this tonight.”
I opened my eyes, barely making out his features in the soft glow radiating from the stairwell light. My heart thundered. I wanted to tell him to ignore what he’d told himself. I was damp between the thighs, ready and wanting. I wanted him.