The café sounds fell away, and there was nothing but her honey-scented sweetness. I resisted the urge to break a few laws—sex in public was definitely frowned upon, especially in a small town. And I’d already made that colossal mistake with our intimate public moment.
Instead, I tempered myself into a long, slow kiss. She gripped my shirt, and I was pretty sure a few chest hairs were sacrificed for the cause. I didn’t care. She was with me now, and that was all that mattered.
Chapter Six
ELLIE
For the second time in as many days, I found myself kissing this man. And as with the first kiss, I didn’t really understand why it happened. Only that I liked it.
A lot.
At least the first one I could blame on mistletoe. This one? Not so much.
The crash of dishes behind me finally dented the hormone haze. Callum being an artist and spouting random stories about mistletoe shouldn’t have been a turn-on, and yet here I was.
I stepped back and teetered on my heels. He caught me and the very sizable hardness he was sporting should have put me off, and yet it so did not.
Those words and yet were my problem tonight.
Everything about him should have been in my turn-off column. No roots in Crescent Cove—check. Less than stable artist—check. Not looking for something serious—double check.
And here I was, dressed up and looking to impress.
Run, Eleanor Ann Lawton, you run right now.
Not toward him. Away.
Ignoring that voice, I leaned in and brushed his lips one more time. “Let’s make this mistake worth it.”
He frowned. “Why does it have to be a mistake?”
“You don’t exactly have let’s date in mind, do you?”
“I could.” He looked away too fast.
“Yeah, that’s what I thought.”
“I don’t know what this is yet. I do know I want to spend time with you.”
I readjusted my purse on my arm. “You want to spend time in my bed.”
“Well, I’m not averse to that, no.”
The fact that I wasn’t either gave me a lot of pause. I’d never been the kind of woman who hopped into bed with strangers. I usually ended up having shit taste in men, but it took a while to figure that out. And that usually included five dates or so. “You’re not from here, either.”
“No.” His eyes narrowed. “Why do I have a feeling you are going down a list in your head, and I’m not getting any checkmarks?”
“I have a lot of plans, Callum.”
“Say it again, Ellie.”
Something fluttered deep in parts of me I didn’t want to think about. “I have a lot of plans.”
“Callum. Say my name, Ellie.”
“Stop being charming.”
He grinned. “Well, there’s one checkmark.”
“Charming isn’t a virtue.”
“Is that what you’re looking for? Virtues?” His gaze dropped to my mouth again as he rolled his bottom lip behind his teeth. And that was far too enticing. “Virtues don’t keep you warm at night.”
“I don’t need a man to keep me warm at night. I’ve been taking care of myself for a damn long time. I even pay my own heating bill.”
“That little bite in your voice doesn’t do anything to turn me off, Ellie. It just makes me want you more.”
“You have some weird standards.”
“I’m pretty sure it’s just an Ellie standard. You’re ruining me for all other women, remember?”
“That endless charm is going to get you into trouble.”
“I don’t really have a lot of charm for anyone but you.”
“Oh, I witnessed plenty of it during my shift today.”
“You were paying attention.”
I tossed my hair over my shoulder. “I didn’t have to. The crowd around you told the tale no matter where I was in the café.”
“Ah, but you still looked for me.”
I huffed out a breath. “You are incorrigible.”
“So my mother tells me. She’d like you.”
My gut twisted. I didn’t want to think about his family or the three brothers he’d mentioned. It seemed big and intrusive and…warm. I was used to my solitary life. I had a few friends, but somehow I’d never really gotten too close to anyone in the years I’d lived here. My mom had landed here when I was seventeen. By the time I was eighteen, she’d lit out with bum number twenty-three and left me behind. Not that she’d ever really been a mom. But once I was eighteen, she didn’t have to legally stick around anymore.
“Hey.” He slid his fingers into my hair and brushed his thumb over my cheek. “Where did you go?”
“Nowhere fun.” I brushed his hand away.
“I’m just asking for you to give me tonight. If you still think this is a mistake after that, no harm no foul.”
“What’s the point? You don’t even live around here.”
“But I’m not far from here either. Less than an hour.”
I sighed. “Might as well be five. I’m starting a new job on Monday, and I won’t have time for two-hour long booty calls. And that’s hoping it would be more than fifteen minutes.”
“Oh, it would be. Not sure I can go two hours, but I’ll give it a go.”
I arched my brow.
He frowned then tipped his head back. “Oh, you mean to and from.”
“Exactly.” I toyed with the buttons of his goldenrod and soot colored shirt. The plaid suited him. A little traditional, but somehow not. His gray eyes were darker now. Stormier and intense in a way that made me want to make those mistakes. To throw caution out the window and live a little.
Especially with that lure of more than a fifteen-minute one and done.
No. No, that’s not on the menu.
We could have a nice evening together without sex. It would be easier to walk away if I didn’t know exactly how we fit together. Some fun might be good for me.
Hmm, how much longer than fifteen minutes would be take?
“Isn’t it exhausting to think so much?” He played with the hem of my sweater, the backs of his knuckles brushing along the skin of my midriff. “Just jump in with me. Just for a few hours.”
I sighed. I really was tired of thinking all the time. “Gonna buy me a steak?”
“Is that what you want?”
I laughed. “Macy said I should make you buy me an expensive dinner.”
“I’d do it if that’s what you want.” He trailed his fingers over my hip to get to my hand and laced our fingers. “What do you want, Ellie?”
I let myself consider the possibilities. “I’d like to walk around the festival. I’m usually working and never get to enjoy it.”
“Then that’s what we’ll do.” He drew me closer to the couch and grabbed my coat. “Now aren’t you glad I had your coat?”
“Is that what we’re going to call it? And not ransom?”
“I’ll do what I have to so I can spend time with you.” He twirled me around. “Now let’s get you dressed for outside. Even if I really like this one-shoulder deal.” His thumb caressed my skin before he held up my gray wool coat for me to put on.