He hadn’t had a lot of practice with kissing in the past thirteen years, so he was glad to hear the positive feedback. But he could tell she liked it even before she spoke up. They seemed totally compatible. There was nothing awkward about kissing or touching her. It was the most natural, perfect progression on earth, which just went to show what great chemistry could do. “How is it different from other men?”

“It’s just so…focused. As if kissing me is the only thing that matters, the only thing you’re thinking about.”

“It is the only thing I’m thinking about,” he admitted and kissed her again, deep and long, before framing her face with his hands. “You’re gorgeous. You know that, don’t you? The first time I saw you, sitting up at that counter…”

He let his words fade away. He’d been about to try to articulate how that moment had affected him—how she’d captured his attention from the very first. But he couldn’t explain why that would be the case, and he didn’t want to ruin it by being overly dramatic.

“What?” she prodded. “What did you think?”

He pressed his forehead to hers. “I thought you looked sad,” he said, remembering.

“I was sad.”

He toyed with her hair. “I also thought…”

Her hand trailed lightly along his jaw. “What?”

The excitement she caused when she reached his mouth and ran her thumb back and forth over his bottom lip made his heart pound. “You took my breath away. And it’s like that now. I can’t believe I’m with you—that I get to make love to you.”

“I can’t believe this is happening, either,” she said. “I never dreamed I’d want anyone else, not so soon. But you’re not like other guys.”

He knew why. How many other men had she slept with who’d finished growing up in prison? But he refused to think about Atticus or the past. A four-day fling didn’t demand full disclosure, which came as a bit of a relief. He didn’t want to tell Harper what he’d done, and hoped she’d never find out. It would change the way she looked at him. And he didn’t think he could bear to see her good opinion of him destroyed.

“Axel was crazy to leave you,” he said.

Her smile wobbled. “I’m just a woman. I can’t compete with stardom.”

He kissed her. “I’d rather have you.”

“You’re almost too good to be true, Tobias Richardson,” she whispered against his lips.