But I still feel robbed. And frustrated. And if I’m being honest, I’m a little pissed off. I had spent the entire evening reading the room, waiting for the perfect moment, and the second I found it, it was yanked out from under me. Now all I have is a lingering sense of what could have been and a whole lot of pent-up energy with nowhere to go.

The only thing I can think to do is reach for the closest thing that still makes sense.

I nod toward the cookies before grabbing one and taking a bite. “Mind if I take some for the road?”

She blinks up at me then huffs a small laugh. “Go ahead,” she says, waving a hand. “I’d be offended if you didn’t, we made enough for an army.”

“Wouldn’t want to do that,” I tease, grabbing a small bag and starting to fill it with cookies. “You know, these might be the best cookies I’ve ever had. You’ve got a real talent.”

Her cheeks flush pink. “This is your recipe, not mine, so I am pretty sure you’re just saying that because I let you steal half the batch.”

I grin, leaning against the counter as I tie the bag closed. “Maybe. Or maybe I just like seeing you blush.”

She raises an eyebrow, but her smile widens, and I can’t help but admire how beautiful she looks when she lets herself relax. “You’re awfully smooth for a guy who barely got invited here.”

“Barely?” I scoff. “You practically begged me to come over.”

She crosses her arms, a mock glare on her face. “I did not.”

I smirk, stepping closer. “You did. You just don’t want to admit it.”

Her laugh is soft, but there’s a spark of playfulness in her eyes now, the tension from earlier starting to fade. “Maybe,” she says, shaking her head.

Leaving right now feels wrong, unfinished. The quiet hum of the kitchen, the faint smell of sugar and vanilla still hanging in the air. I glance back at her, standing there in the soft glow of the kitchen, her arms crossed loosely, her head tilted slightly as she watches me.

Her lips curve in a small hesitant smile, but there is another layer in her expression, uncertain, yet hopeful. That look does me in.

Screw it.

Before I can second-guess myself, I cross to her in two quick strides. Her eyes widen, and her lips part slightly, but before she can say a word, I reach out and grab the back of her neck, pulling her to me. My lips crash against hers, hard and fast, like I’ve been waiting for this all night. She gasps softly, her hands gripping my arms. Thank God she doesn’t pull away.