She blinked, so startled that she didn’t think to filter her response. “You didn’t have to say it. I could see it as clearly as you’re seeing me right now. You took one look at me and Wheezy standing in that hallway the first day we met and decided you knew everything there was to know.”

The tips of his ears turned pink, but he didn’t deny the accusation. She appreciated that more than he could possibly realize.

“It’s true that I may have jumped to a few conclusions,” he said as he placed his hand on top of hers. His fingers were warm and heavy, and they clasped hers with an urgency it was impossible to deny. “And I’m sorry for it—I really am—but when I’m overwhelmed, I retreat. Usually I hide behind Caleb, but he didn’t jump in to save me that time.”

“To save you?” Her mouth fell open. “From…me?”

“Yes, from you.” He shook his head with a self-deprecating grin. “You’re stunning, Ruby. You must know that. Every time you walk into a room, I’m stunned.”

In her short tenure on this planet, Ruby had been called all the synonyms for beautiful that existed in the English language. Men had praised every single one of her body parts, including those of both a visible and private nature. She’d won awards for her ability to look good and pluck at a harp with grace, and she’d enjoyed the social privilege that came with all that.

But right now, with Spencer’s hand on hers, his eyes so dark they swallowed her whole, she really, truly believed it—not that she was worth looking at but that she was worth seeing.

“Kiss me,” she said, unable to look away from his gaze. “Please, Spencer? I’ve been waiting for you to kiss me for weeks.”

Even though she was the one who made the request, the sudden sensation of his mouth against hers was so surprising that she couldn’t do anything at first but stand there and allow it to happen. Spencer was always so careful, so methodical in everything he did, that she’d expected him to kiss the same way. However, the man moving his lips over hers was no such thing. As was the case when they’d stood on opposite ends of his living room and bared all, he let himself go in the most glorious of ways. Instead of gently exploring her mouth, nibbling and coaxing the way some men did when kissing a woman for the first time, he went right for the good stuff. There was no hesitation in him, no shyness. The moment she opened her mouth even a fraction, he was claiming her for his own.