She shook her head, her heart slamming slow and hard against her ribs as she worked up the courage to utter the words. Trust your instincts. “Except for the good-night kiss.”

Della swore she could hear Tucker’s breath releasing in a slow hiss. His frown deepened so much his brow practically hooded his eyes.

“I think most people would agree it’s a quintessential part of any first date,” she continued, knowing that the only hope of talking Tucker into kissing her would be to appeal to his sense of process.

He grunted. “There’s nothing essential about it. It’s optional. And don’t let anyone tell you any different.”

“But don’t men expect a first-date kiss?”

He turned so he was facing her, shoving his hands on his hips and squaring his shoulders. Leashed restraint rolled off him in waves. Fine hairs all over Della’s body prickled.

“Listen to me. Any guy who expects you to kiss him on the first date or who pressures you into it is an asshole.”

He was looking at her like she was not Arlo’s sister again, and Della could see the twin pulsing of the thick veins bracketing the hard ridge of his trachea.

“You don’t have to do a goddamn thing you don’t want to. Now…if the date was good and you want to consider ending it with a kiss, then…by all means.”

“Right. So…” Emboldened by the beat of that pulse, Della took a tiny step forward. “In case of that eventuality, surely it’s something also in need of assessment?”

“I think we can take it as a given that you’ll pass that one with flying colors, too.”

“But I’ve only ever kissed one guy.” Well, two, actually, if she counted that chaste press of her mouth to Tucker’s. Which she didn’t. “I might be really bad at it.”

“You’re not.”

“Really?” A tiny flutter of pleasure spread tentacles to every part of her body.

He cocked an eyebrow. “Fishing for compliments?”

Della grinned. “Totally.”

“Well…you’re fine in the kissing department,” he said, his voice gruff. “Don’t worry about it.”

It sounded like he was trying to shut her down, and she didn’t want to be shut down. She shouldn’t want what she was asking for, either, but moonlight and daiquiris were a potent mix. “I think you probably need a bigger sample size to be sure.”

Without perceptibly moving, Tucker’s frame seemed to turn to granite. “I’m not kissing you, Della.”