Page 46 of The Lucky Heart (Jamison Valley 3)
“I did,” I said. “Thanks for inviting me.”
The last hour had been much better than the first. I had more in common with Emmeline than I’d originally thought and, as an avid Sons of Anarchy fan, I’d been fascinated when she’d told me about how Nick’s dad and brother were in a motorcycle club.
“You’re not lying to me, are you?” Silas asked. “That goes against the rules of friendship.”
“No, I’m not lying. It was fun. Maybe a little awkward at first.”
“Why?”
“Honestly? Even though I’m from here, sometimes I’m not sure how to act. I’m just . . . trying not to make waves.”
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t want to be like Andrea anymore. That mean girl who never grew up. I want to make new friends here and not be fodder for gossip. I know that I have a sharp tongue so I’m just trying to keep it behind my teeth and make sure I don’t offend anyone.”
“Hmm,” he muttered as he pulled into my driveway.
“Well, good night. Thanks for taking me tonight. And for shoveling earlier.” I reached for the door handle, but before I could pull it open, Silas grabbed my elbow.
“Lis,” he said gently, “you don’t need to stifle yourself to make friends. That spirit you have? It’s what makes you special. Don’t smother that fire because you think others won’t like it. They’ll be drawn to it, just like I am. And if I ever hear you compare yourself to Andrea Merkuso again, I’ll take you over my knee.”
My chest swelled with emotion and I fought to breathe. It never ceased to amaze me how much this man understood me. All of me. His words? They were everything I needed to hear.
I couldn’t lose myself on my quest to better myself.
The right thing to say wasn’t coming to mind, so instead, I leaned across the cab and placed my hand on his cheek. Softly, I brushed my lips to his and whispered, “Thank you.”
When I pulled back an inch, his hands came to the sides of my face, then his mouth was back on mine, rough and demanding. I melted as his tongue coaxed my lips open and slid inside. We kissed without restraint, my hands wandering over his muscled chest as he slanted my head so he could take my mouth exactly the way he wanted.
What did this mean? Did he want more? Questions flitted through my head but I pushed them away and enjoyed the sensation of his lips against mine. I’d been waiting, aching for this moment for so long, I wanted to relish it. His kiss left me breathless and I panted when he pulled back and broke away.
“We should stop,” he said.
My heart fell with my shoulders. I tried to hide my crushing disappointment as I leaned back into my half of the cab. “I’m sorry. You’re right. We can’t do this again. We’ll just end up in bed and then probably get into a fight. We agreed to be friends and that’s what we should be. It’s my mistake. I shouldn’t have kissed you.”
“Lis, that’s not—”
“I’m going to go, okay? Before this gets weird. Let’s just forget it ever happened. Thanks again for tonight.” I opened the handle and jumped out of the truck before he could say anything else or I could make a bigger fool of myself.
I waved and forced a smile as I rounded the hood of the truck and walked to my front door. When I was safely inside, I leaned back against the door, glad that Silas couldn’t see the pain of rejection on my face.
Silas
“I should get a fucking medal for self-restraint,” I muttered.
I had wanted nothing more than to carry Felicity into the house and spend the night deep inside her, but I’d vowed to take this slowly. We weren’t in a good place yet and sex would just complicate things. I just hoped that I hadn’t alienated her tonight and that one day, she’d understand why I’d stopped that kiss.
She was lonely and doubting her every move. Before we took the next step, I wanted her in a better mental place. Whenever we’d been together in the past, it had always been so dramatic. She’d been drunk. She’d been angry. She’d been heartbroken by the love of her life.
This time around, I didn’t want her running to me as an escape.
This time around, I wanted her to finally choose me just because I made her happy.
“And you’re sure I can’t get you to reconsider?” my boss asked.
“Thanks, but no. This is the best thing for me and for you too. I’ve been a rotten employee lately.”
“Hardly,” he said. “On your worst day, you’re still my best.”
