Griffin hadn’t realized they’d stopped on the sidewalk while her passioned explanation caused his chest to depress as he exhaled and his heartbeat pounded. Her face was turned up toward his, her blue eyes twinkling underneath the streetlamp’s illumination. Her cheeks held a hint of blush, and her mouth was moist, and her lips parted slightly.
“I want to kiss you.” As the words left his mouth, she blinked, and he had no idea how to pull them back even if he wanted to, which he didn’t.
“Okay,” she whispered, her voice barely more than a breath. Stepping closer so that her front was pressed to his, her head tilted back to maintain eye contact.
“I don’t know if it’s a good idea,” he admitted, the words rough and choked.
“I’m not sure I care.” Her tongue darted out, licking her bottom lip, and his resolve snapped.
He let their linked fingers go to lift both hands, wrapping his palms around the sides of her neck, his fingers tangling with the silky softness of her hair and his thumbs gently sweeping over her cheeks. Her hands lifted to his waist, and she clutched his shirt. Her lips parted as he moved closer, his mouth sealing over hers.
The instant her tongue reached out to barely touch his, a groan resounded from deep inside. He slid his hand into her hair to grasp the strands, tilt her head slightly to the side, and thrust his tongue into her warmth, finding and losing himself at the same time.
She lifted onto her toes, and he slid one arm to band around her waist to take some of her weight, loving the feel as she melted into him. Her soft body pressed against the hard planes of his, her fingers digging into his waist. It had been a while since he’d been out with a woman, but he usually didn’t go so fast. With Caitlyn, they weren’t even on a date, but damn if he didn’t care. In his arms, she felt as though she belonged.
The sound of laughter came from across the street, and he shifted them around so that when he lifted his head from her mouth, he could see the noise came from inside the pub. A hasty glance to the side revealed they were standing next to her car. His gaze dropped to her face, her half-lidded eyes still shining in the light of the lamp and her tongue sweeping over her kiss-swollen lips. Shit… what the fuck am I doing?
She breathed heavily, her sweet breath puffing across his face, a smile playing on her lips. “Are you still uncertain if this is a good idea?”
It seemed she was holding her breath waiting for his answer, but honesty was all he could afford. All he knew was that he had no clue what he was doing with the beautiful, bewitching neighbor. Nodding slowly, he replied, “Yeah. I’m completely uncertain.”
As soon as the confession of doubt left his lips, he winced.
13
Dragging her lips from the best kiss she’d ever had, bar none, Caitlyn stared dumbly. As soon as the words fell between them from Griffin’s lips, she inhaled quickly, unable to stop the gasp from slipping out. She’d asked the question hoping he’d tell her that there was no uncertainty. In fact, she’d been sure he was going to push aside all doubts. But no. Settling her heels back onto the sidewalk, she loosened her grip on his shirt, her hand flat on his abs, smoothing over the now-wrinkled material. Her face felt hot, and she was glad for the darkness to keep her heated blush from his eyes.
Sucking in her lips, she tried to think of something to say, but the awkward silence filled the air, threatening to choke her breath. Finally, she reached into her purse and pulled out her car keys. Forcing a smile onto her face, she inclined her head toward the vehicle behind him. “We should get home.”
“Caitlyn, I’m sorry. That’s not… I didn’t mean—”
Stepping back, she darted around him and threw open the driver’s door. Once behind the wheel, she started the car as he climbed into the passenger side. Pulling out onto the almost empty street, she desperately tried to think of something to ease the awkward silence. Alighting on something he’d said earlier that would be a safe subject, she said, “If you went to North Central High, then you probably remember Mr. Aylesford.”
Keeping her eyes on the road, she felt Griffin’s stare against the side of her head. Her fingers gripped the steering wheel a little tighter until he spoke, allowing the change of subject to ease the tension.
“I can’t believe he’s still there. He was the English teacher everyone dreaded to have. I was never sure he even liked literature.”
Still trying to fill the void, she kept going. “I’ve heard the rumor that this is going to be his last year. He’s way past retirement, and it’s not that he doesn’t have anything else to do. He’s got family in Florida and his wife has been after him to retire so they can move. I think to help that along, the principal gave him all ninth-grade English classes, the bane of every teacher’s existence. I know they are making him crazy, so I’m pretty sure he’ll finally leave.” Realizing she was blabbing, she snapped her mouth closed.
“I’m over there fairly often. Well, not at the high school, but right behind it, near the stadium. There are several older houses that I’ve been working on. One is finished, and they were so happy with the work that the neighbors want me to do some work there as well.”
“Oh, I know the ones you’re talking about. The street that curves around behind the stadium that has that gorgeous blue house?”
Clearing his throat, he nodded. “Yes. I’m going to start reworking that porch. The one next to it, the brick one, is what we just finished.”
By the time they’d arrived at their home, the tension she hoped would have eased was still just as choking. Embarrassed heat still moved through her, making her stomach churn. How did I read his signals so wrong? She couldn’t remember the last time she’d enjoyed a kiss so much and could have sworn he enjoyed it, too. Parking in front, she felt his hesitation but threw open her door and hopped out quickly. The last thing she wanted to hear was an ‘it’s me, not you’ excuse. By the time she’d stepped onto the sidewalk, he joined her there, keeping up as she walked briskly to the front porch. He pulled out his keys and unlocked the front door before stepping back and allowing her to go in first.
When the house was divided into four apartments, the architect and contractor kept the original wide, wooden staircase that led from the entry foyer to the second floor. The hallway narrowed beyond the stairs, ending in the door that led to the back porch. Margaretha lived in the left apartment with Terri and Bjorn occupying the right. The light in the hallway always stayed on so the stairs were well illuminated. Tiptoeing so that her shoes did not make excessive noise, Caitlyn immediately moved up the stairway, her hand lightly gliding along the polished banister.
She wished she didn’t feel his presence right behind her, but Griffin was a hard man to ignore. The ceilings in the house were tall, and there were sixteen steps to get to the second floor. Not that Caitlyn needed to count them, considering she’d already done that when she moved in and had memorized each step as she and her siblings lugged furniture to the second floor. But now, with him directly behind her, each one seemed to multiply as she walked up the stairs, ready for the evening to be over.
Rounding the top, she took a step toward her door, then turned. “I had a nice time getting to know you better tonight, Griffin.”