“What about Hunter? This might interfere with your friendship.”
Alec didn’t welcome her concern. He wanted her to be freed because of him, not in spite of him.
He grabbed her hand. “Trust me to sort out my relationships. There’s no rush, anyway. We’ll wait until you’re sure about what you want.”
“You’re pretty patient.” She grinned.
“You have no idea.” He’d wait forever for the chance to give her back the wings Mark’s suicide had clipped.
On the radio, the soft tune of dueling guitars floated through the room.
“I love this song.” Colby smiled and took another bite of her sandwich, licking a bit of jelly from the corner of her mouth.
“I’ve never heard it,” he said absently, wishing he could lick that jelly from her lips.
“‘Bloom’ by the Paper Kites.”
The melody bubbled along like a brook in the springtime, carrying his heart along with it.
Colby’s face lit as she slid off her stool and tugged his arm. “Let’s dance.”
The sun had nearly ducked below the horizon, casting the apartment in shadows except for the light coming from the stove hood. Colby rested her head against his chest and followed his lead, neither of them talking.
Every aspect of the moment captivated him. The rosemary-and-mint scent of her hair, the weight of her head on his chest, the feel of her cotton dress beneath his palm, the sway of her hips, the sound of their feet shuffling against the wood floor, the lilac-and-gray light shrouding them in a peaceful haze, the sound of her breath, the feel of her thin hand in his.
He raised her hand and pressed his lips to her wrist. She might not feel strong enough to confront the past, but he believed that compassionate, brave girl she’d been still existed, even if pain had locked her away deep inside. Colby would believe it, too, once he stitched together her torn pieces tight enough that she no longer noticed the seams.
“I haven’t danced in years.” She raised her head, her gaze soft.
“Maybe instead of reading about some fictional character’s hundred happy days, we should tick through our own bucket lists together.”
“That’s sweet.” She grinned but didn’t appear eager for adventure.
“I’m serious. What’s on your list?”
After a moment, she said, “My top three would be a trip to Holland during its tulip festival, a hot-air-balloon ride, and to meet Adam Levine.”
“Adam Levine?” he chuckled.
“No judging. What about you?”
“I’ve never given it any thought.”
“Off the top of your head, what have you always wanted to do?”
Make love with you. “Earn a Michelin star—or two, or three—someday. Cycle through French wine country. Fish in Alaska.”
“I can’t help much with that first one.”
“Michelin doesn’t cover the Northwest US at this point, but maybe in the future. In the meantime, I want to win another James Beard Award, and you’ve given me a place to start trying.” He set aside concerns about the way she kept wanting to tweak his menu for “broader appeal.” This wasn’t the time for that discussion with “the boss.” Instead, he teased, “Of course, the other two might be a little difficult to squeeze in on Mondays and Tuesdays, and I can’t have the boss catch me slacking off.”
“She’s a taskmaster. Her and that dumb rule against coworkers dating.” Colby wrinkled her nose.
“Sexual harassment suits are messy.” He kissed her temple, then twirled her around. “But if I play my cards right, I could end up owning the joint.”
“First she’d have to sexually harass you.”
“I can’t wait!” He’d never spoken truer words in his life.
Her eyelids lowered slightly. “Maybe you won’t have to.”
The heated words shot through him. She slid her hands up his chest. Her fingertips brushed along his neck to the line of his jaw, then back down and over his shoulder blades. His body grew hot and hard wherever she touched him.
He traced the curves of her hip, her spine, the back of her neck. Her lips parted slightly, but her gaze followed her own hands as they swept down his torso, then snuck around his waist and over his ass.
Colby’s featherlight touch was the most erotic of explorations, despite his being fully clothed. He willed time to stop and let himself savor the moment building between them. The thrum in his chest and elsewhere awakened every part of his body, inside and out, imprinting her touch on his soul. They swayed to the music, and everything around him receded into a fog as he lightly rested his hands on her hips.