“I wish my mother would leave it to fate. Do you get along with yours?”

“Mom and I are kind of close. She calls me every day to make sure I’m up to speed with what’s happening in the family. I take them for granted.”

“Why are you avoiding them next week?”

“What?” She looks over at me.

God, the furrow in her brow is adorable.

“Did I mention they’re overbearing?”

I’m still distracted by the furrow, which appears again when she doesn’t have an immediate answer. I stare at her luscious lips. It’s been a long time since I’ve been captivated by a woman.

And a woman like Claire nonetheless.

Intelligent, kind, beautiful.

I just can’t keep my eyes off of her. Her eyes, those beautifully toned legs, the dress molded to her curves. She’s so fucking hot; I’m salivating as I listen to her talk about her family.

“But that’s not the whole reason,” I insist. “Why are you avoiding them?”

Her face falls. “It’s a long story.”

“We have all night.” I pull her into an embrace.

“They love me, I know that, but…I’m just a second thought. Nikki needs them because she’s useless and Tom is a hot mess too. They always end up making it about themselves, even during my birthday. It’s a little depressing.”

“We’ll celebrate tomorrow.” I kiss the top of her head.

“You don’t have to,” she says, giving me an out. “I’ll meet up with my girls tomorrow and we’ll have some fun. I promise to be back here on Saturday for the wedding.”

I cup her face and look into her intense dark eyes.

“What?” she asks, wiping her face.

“You keep surprising me. I had a good time during dinner.”

“Is that a line, Mr. Archer?”

“You like to call me Mr. Archer, don’t you?” I say in a low voice, leaning closer to her.

Her lips part and a hint of pink from her tongue appears when she delicately touches her top lip with it. When I run a thumb along her jawline, her breath hitches. I push a piece of her hair from her eyes.

I slide my hand into her hair, letting the soft dark curls fall through my fingers as I lean forward, my other hand lifting her chin slightly. I lick my lips as our shared gaze locks before I slant my mouth to hers. Within seconds, I’m on fire, combusting as I kiss her without restraint. My heart rate quickens as everything around us ceases to matter anymore.

My tongue sweeps across hers, and her arms wrap around my neck as we deepen the kiss. She’s just as eager to explore my mouth as I am to explore hers. Her hands travel up my back, while mine lower down to her perfect ass, pulling her body closer to mine.