Page 41 of A Tempting Seduction

Ruby's face flushed, and she immediately began backpedaling.

“I didn't mean anything more than dessert. I'm sorry if it sounded like something more. I just thought coffee might be nice, but if you'd rather not, that's completely fine. I don't want you to think I was implying...”

Her nervous rambling made my chest tight with affection.

“Ruby. Hey.” I reached over and touched her hand gently. “It's okay. I'd love to come in for coffee and dessert. I wasn't expecting anything more than maybe a hug goodbye.”

Ruby's eyes widened slightly.

“Oh…” I could see her blushing. “I was thinking maybe a kiss goodnight would be okay.”

The words were barely above a whisper, but they hit me like a lightning bolt.

“I'd like that very much.”

We got out of the car and walked up the porch steps together. Ruby's hands shook slightly as she unlocked the door, and I had to resist the urge to cover them with mine.

Inside, she busied herself in the kitchen while I sat at her small dining table. The apple brown betty she brought out looked homemade, topped with vanilla ice cream that was already starting to melt.

“This looks amazing.”

“Patti at the diner makes the best desserts.”

“I do like eating at the diner,” I admitted. “I wish I could say cooking was one of my skills, but it really isn’t.”

“I doubt that’s true,” Ruby teased me.

I chuckled. “Trust me, it’s true. As the middle child I managed to slip by mom’s cooking lessons. Do you cook?”

“I worked in a Mexican restaurant for a while. In the kitchen. I know how to cook a little.”

“You did? Did you like working in a restaurant? I would have thought with your personality and looks you would have been a great waitress. You would have made bank.”

“I liked being in the back.” The way Ruby said that, I knew not to ask any more questions. Which only made me more curious about her past.

“I like Walker being the frontman, so I know where you’re coming from.”

She smiled and we started talking about things not related to her past while we ate. The conversation flowed easily. I told her more stories about growing up with four siblings, and she shared what felt like carefully edited memories of life in Los Angeles.

By the time we finished dessert, it was nearly eleven o'clock.

“I should probably go.” I stood up from the table. “I've got an internal alarm clock that goes off at five-thirty every morning, whether I want it to or not.”

“Even on weekends?”

“Even on weekends. I like to go into the shop on Sunday mornings, check on things, maybe get some paperwork done when it's quiet.”

Ruby walked me to the door, and we stood there for a moment, the weight of the evening settling between us.

“Are you really ready for that kiss?” I asked softly.

Ruby nodded, her eyes never leaving mine.

I cupped her face in my hands, my thumbs brushing across her round cheeks. Her skin was soft and warm, and I could feel the slight tremor that ran through her as I leaned closer.

The first touch of our lips was gentle, tentative. But when Ruby made a small sound in the back of her throat and pressed closer, something ignited between us.

The kiss deepened, became something hungry and desperate. Ruby's hands fisted in my shirt, pulling me against her, and I had to brace one hand against the door frame to keep us both upright.