Free Bad Traveler by Lola Karns Page B

the counter, they set the plate of cookies between them along with their mugs of milk, handy for dunking. He picked up the firm molasses cookie with large pieces of sugar that stuck to his fingers. The crisp outside yielded to a softness that melted in his mouth. Sweet with a hint of saltiness to make it interesting, just like Gwen. Tonight, he’d see if she would melt in his arms, and his mouth. It was his night.
     
     
    As she nibbled her second cookie, she watched him eat. Seeing him happy brought joy to her heart. Tiny crinkles formed around the corners of his eyes whenever he smiled. Sexy . She liked his nose, his square jawline, the bow of his lips, and the hint of dark blond stubble at the end of a long day. She wanted to run her fingers through his hair, to try and muss it up. During the game, she’d seen him rub his temples, fingers scrunching into his hairline. After the game, his short sandy-blond hair didn’t look ruffled at all. Was it even possible for him to look rumpled? Perhaps only in that brief instant before waking when the world is still full of possibility. Maybe, some other day, she would find out.
    Prior experience taught her nothing would ever happen for them if she spent her time dreaming instead of doing. Words spun in her head. Had he suggested the covered bridge as a joke? Back in school, they’d joked about going there once or twice when there was nothing else going on.
    Her tongue sat heavy in her mouth, unable to move. What if she said something inappropriate or worse, kissed him again only to be pushed away? She couldn’t take that kind of rejection. If he didn’t return her interest, their friendship wouldn’t survive, not when he would know for sure about her crush.
    Their hands brushed as they reached for the cookie plate. Instead of a quick retreat, he slid his hand over the top of hers, allowing his fingers to find the gaps between hers as they curled into her palm.
    She stared, needing visual confirmation his hand covered hers. She glanced at him and knew it was true. Her fingers intertwined with his, pressing them closer. His green eyes darkened as his other hand rose to her face, tracing its contours with his thumb. Her eyes closed, and she leaned toward his touch. The slight roughness of his masculine fingers contrasted the gentleness of his caress. Instinct took over. She parted her lips, and her tongue pressed against her teeth as a moan escaped from deep inside her.
     
     
    Sucker punched by a glance . The hushed, throaty moan took his breath away. He wanted nothing more than to hear that wonderful sound again. Gwen’s skin was even softer than he’d imagined. His thumb drew small circles on her chin, grazing puckered lips. She responded with a head tilt that brought the firmness of her teeth against him. If she touched him with her tongue, he wouldn’t restrain himself.
    With a war between lust and logic waging in his mind, he forced his fingers away from her rosy lips. His hand dropped to her collarbone and then slid to rest on one shoulder. Disappointment, confusion, a bit of anger, and, in the end, relief flickered in those chocolate eyes.
    “My gorgeous Gwendolyn.”
    His mind filled with reasons why he should stop before he fell completely and hopelessly in love with her. He’d likely move to another town in a year or so. She didn’t know about his leg. If something awful happened, they wouldn’t stay friends. But friendship wasn’t enough.
    He remembered the euphoria of earlier, seeing Gwen cheering him on to victory at the basketball arena. Of her soft skin and full lips. Tonight was his night. Tomorrow would still come, but it was a long way off. Her fingers slid to his thigh. He had to move it, so he could think again. Holding her hand made his brain stop.
    “Your life is so busy now with your business and Chloe. I don’t know that I should intrude….”
    She placed her index finger on his lips. “Shhh. You think too much.”
    Recognizing resistance