“It’s our third date. I think it’s time,” he said with great seriousness.

She laughed but snuggled under his arm as he framed in the mountains and lake behind them. He looked down at her and snapped the picture.

“You weren’t even looking at the camera,” she complained.

“Sy.” Ricardo, manager of the garden center one town over, gave him a little two-fingered salute as he strolled by with his teenage son.

“Hey, Rico,” he called back.

He kept Maggie anchored under his arm and fired off a text.

Silas: Meet the future Mrs. Wright. Or maybe I’m the future Mr. Nichols. We haven’t discussed name changes officially yet.

“Are you cold?” he asked Maggie. The sun was dipping low in the sky, taking its spring warmth with it.

“A little. I have a coat in the truck. How do you know so many people?” she asked.

He looked down at her, baffled. “I grew up here. Most of them did, too. It’s not that unusual. And it’s something you can look forward to when you decide to stay.”

“You must really need that five bucks,” she mused, leading him in the direction of her vehicle.

They stopped at her truck, and she shrugged into a sexy-as-hell leather jacket.

“Damn, Mags.” Silas sighed.

“What?” She gave her hair a girlie fluff.

“You look badass.”

“It’s important to remember I also licked fry sauce off my plate. So I’m not that badass. Where to?”

He held out his hand and didn’t bother to not look smug when she finally took it. “If you don’t mind, we’ll swing by my place—”

“I’m not having sex with you tonight,” she interrupted, stopping on the sidewalk and facing him.

He gave in and finally slipped his arms around her. Locking his fingers together at the small of her back, he tried out the feel of her in his arms. It worked. They worked.

“Tonight?” He hung on to that qualifier and gave her his best lecherous look.

She bit her lower lip, and he lost his train of thought.

“Definitely not tonight.”

“Hmm,” he said.

“What?”

“I’m having a hard time thinking about anything but kissing you right now,” he said softly.

“Silas.” There was a hint of warning in her tone, but she didn’t do anything to put more space between them.

“It’s a kiss, Maggie. Not a commitment. One kiss won’t cost you a lifetime,” he coaxed.

“Well, since I’m here. And you’re here, and we’re definitely not having sex tonight,” she said, sliding her palms up his chest to his shoulders.

Something in the back of his brain said “uh-oh,” but he wasn’t one to back away from a challenge. No, he dove into them headfirst.