Knowing it looked bad, I shrugged. “She had some extra breadsticks. She said we could have them if we wanted.”

She shook her head, her expression clearly saying, “I knew it.” But whatever she thought she knew was wrong. The flirting was one way, I was just being nice. There was a difference—one Kiera was going to have to get comfortable with, since I did, on occasion, need to be nice.

Laughing at the frustrated, resigned look on her face, I set down the box and wrapped my arms around Kiera’s waist. I pulled her tight, then brought my lips to her throat. Tasting her skin, I worked my way up to her ear. Her body stiffened in my arms, and I could feel her breathing pick up. I loved how much I affected her…how much she wanted me.

Shifting my focus, I brought my mouth over hers, a hairsbreadth from touching them. “I can’t help what women find appealing.” I ducked my hand into her underwear and cupped her ass. “But I only find you appealing.” You’re my everything.

My words, combined with my actions, pushed her over the edge, and she leaned forward to press her lips to mine. I indulged in the contact for a long moment, then I stepped away from her. She looked confused at first, until I grabbed her hand and twirled her away, then back to me. She laughed when she reconnected with my chest, and she had a huge grin on her face when I twirled her away again.

There was a time when I’d thought dancing with Kiera was better than sex. While I wasn’t sure if that was true—nothing could really top sex with Kiera—it didn’t diminish the fact that dancing with her was extremely enjoyable. For both of us. And as we danced and ate our pizza, Kiera seemed to forget that we were in our underwear. Or she stopped caring as I twirled her around, one of the two. And when she laughed and shook her ass in front of me, a move that almost got her swiftly carried upstairs, it became clear that she wasn’t nervous about school anymore. For one moment in time, she wasn’t nervous about anything, and being able to do that for her—give her that kind of peace—opened my heart to the point of pain. There was nothing I wouldn’t do for this girl.

Chapter 6

THE PAST STRIKES AGAIN

I woke up the next morning feeling great. I’d done it. I’d successfully given Kiera a night to remember, and hopefully the calm, peace I’d seen on her while we’d danced in my kitchen would continue throughout the day.