This time she went for a lightning-fast kick to his shin, her full plate bobbing on her thighs. But Seth moved quicker. He stopped her attack within inches from his shin with a strong grip on her ankle. She squealed and jerked reflexively. His hand felt like a molten iron clamp.

“Lemme go.” She wiggled against his grasp. “You almost made me spill my food.”

“I almost made you? You’re the one who tried to kick me.”

“Okay. Okay. I promise not to kick you if you let me go.”

“Should I trust you?”

“Only someone gullible would trust me right now.” In the same motion, she put aside her plate and delivered a playful kick to his biceps with her other leg. Startled, he let go of her ankle to block any further attacks. She didn’t attack physically but couldn’t resist one last jab. “See, gullible.”

Pushing away his food, he lunged for her, pressing her torso into the soft blanket-covered grass. “I’ve learned my lesson.”

He held her hands over her head, and she felt as though she’d had the wind knocked out her. Her heartbeat ratcheted up to a fast jog as awareness seeped into her veins like warm honey. All she had to do was lift her head off the ground a few inches to test whether his lips were as soft and plush as they looked. His gorgeous face was only a hand span away from hers, and he smelled like … pineapple and bacon. Her stomach growled.

“I’m hungry,” she said breathlessly.

“So am I,” he said in a low growl.

Her stomach growled more insistently this time. It was the perfect excuse to get out of a dangerously tempting position. “For food. I’m hungry for food.”

Blinking rapidly, Seth released her wrists and helped her sit up. “Yeah. I meant for food as well.”

She smiled slyly, preening with feminine pride. “You should eat something quick. You look like you’re about to pass out from … hunger.”

Without responding, he grabbed a triangle of BLT from the box and ate it in two bites. He was embarrassed. How sweet was that? Feeling content, Tara bit into her sandwich and glanced around the park. The green grass seemed to stretch on forever from their spot underneath the tree, and the blue sky looked almost within reach. She ate in easy silence, soaking up the moment. But in a few minutes, a gaggle of children’s voices drowned the silence.

“School must be out early today,” Tara said, watching a half dozen kids racing toward a tree near their picnic spot.

“Should we take cover?” Seth asked.

“Why? Are you afraid of little children?”

“Not afraid. I just don’t know what to do with them.”

“Well, you won’t need to do anything with them,” she reassured him. “Their moms are over there watching them.”

Her heart dropped when she saw an acquaintance among the group of moms. Tara waved casually at her to avoid looking like she’d been caught doing something wrong. The woman waved back, saying something out of the corner of her mouth to one of the other moms. The pair looked toward them with obvious curiosity. Of all days … She never ran into anyone she knew here.