Page 229 of Out of Left Field

“Answers what?”

“I was made to kiss you.” Then he took a shaky breath. “What are you thinking?”

The truth was I was thinking a lot of things. That Everett was more man than anyone I’d dated before. Seriously, why was he so tall? And broad? And confident? That confidence was addictive. He was a good kisser. A little greedy but let me kiss him with just as much fervor. The beard tickled more than it scratched and I was pretty sure I was going to be tugging on it in the near future. I was excited that this was easy and thrilling instead of awkward and weird. But one thought jumped out more than the rest. “Damn you, Everett Anson.”

He jerked back, panic all over his face, but his hands still on my hips. “You didn’t like it?”

“Oh no. I liked it. I loved it. How dare you keep this from me all these years! You owe me so many kisses.”

His panic turned to shock and then finally a slow, sly smile spread across his face as he realized that I did, in fact, like kissing him. “I shall serve my sentence with glee. How many do you figure I owe you?”

“Thousands.” I slid my hands around his neck and buried my fingers in his hair. “At least one a day for the last, what? Eight years?” I could give us some grace in college. We were young and unaware. But since then? Each of us knew and instead of acting on those little niggles of desire, we ignored them.

And okay, maybe that meant I was a little to blame too, but this was more fun.

“Thousands?” He wrapped his hands around my waist, locking them there. “That seems a bit high.”

“Well, when do you think you fell in love with me?”

His eyes softened. “I don’t know. I’ve always loved you. But when did I fall?” He shrugged. “I’ll have to do some serious thinking.”

“Do that.” I couldn’t stop grinning. “Then we can calculate a fair number for you to work off.”

“Willa Cooper, are we engaging in romantic banter?”

It was all the same but different. We could still tease, but there was a new edge to it. I liked it. “I believe we are. How do you feel about that? Is it ruining our decade of friendship?”

He raised a hand to my hair, sliding it over the curls, then traced my cheek down to my lips. His intense concentration made me dizzy all over again. “It’s making it sweeter.” He pulled at my lower lip and then hooked his finger under my chin, holding me in place. “I don’t know what I’m doing. I’ve never…I want to get this right.”

I wanted to fall into his eyes and live there forever. Holy shit he had sexy eyes. So full of love and desire. “I think when two people want the same thing, and they care about each other as much as we do, then they’ll find a way.” Without looking away I took his other hand and brought it to my breast.

Was I doing this?

Was it too fast? Too wild? Too…everything?

Maybe, but then again, we had so many years behind us already. What was the point in waiting any longer?

His eyes widened as I pressed his hand around the swell of my breast. “Tonight,” I said, “is for answering questions. No regrets. I’m not your old friend Willa and you’re not my bestie, Everett.”

He squeezed once. “Who are we then?”

“Just a woman who desperately wants the man in front of her. That is, if you’re interested.”

He silenced me with a kiss. An intense kiss. He crushed me against his hard body and took it deep as his fingers dug into my skin. He was too tall. I felt the need to climb him to even the playing field. When I hooked one leg around him he took the hint and hauled me up, holding me like I weighed nothing. “Bed? Or is that⁠—”

“Please stop thinking.” I didn’t want to think again until sometime tomorrow. Later if possible.

He set me on the edge of the bed. At least we managed to get the sheet on. We didn’t need the comforter for this. “Scoot,” he demanded with a jerk of his chin.

There was an edge to his voice. Something growly and demanding. A side of Everett I’d never seen before. A side…that made my inside do a flip.

I moved deeper into the bed and Everett followed, leaning against the headboard before cupping my face and kissing me again. This time we were nearly level. He was still taller but at least I didn’t have to crane my neck or have him almost squat to kiss me. It would be so easy to climb into his lap…

So I did. Which earned me a growl of approval. It also confirmed my suspicions. Everett was as hard as a rock.

“I can’t think straight.” One hand held me to him for kisses while the other gathered my hair over the other shoulder. “You have no idea how much time I’ve spent daydreaming about this hair of yours.”

“My hair?” I ran my hand over his beard, down the end where I gave it a gentle tug.