was simply because she reminded Grey of Emily. “I guess I could go for some ice cream.”
“Yeah?”
“Absolutely.” Lauren could not suppress the pleasant shudder that rolled up her spine at the feeling of Grey’s hand brushing lightly over her lower back when she walked past her, and her stomach flipped at the way Grey’s breath hitched in response. Yes, whatever it was that was going on between them, they were definitely treading on dangerous ground. “How far is it to the ice cream shop?”
Grey pointed at a cluster of shops in front of them as she stepped onto the boardwalk beside Lauren. “It’s just up there.”
They walked down the boardwalk to the ice cream shop in silence, their arms brushing together every so often, Lauren’s heart skipping a beat at every light touch, and she gave Grey a small, shaky smile when she held the door to the shop open for her. “Thank you.”
“My ple asure.” Grey’s mouth went dry when Lauren’s eyes found hers, and she swallowed thickly as Lauren pushed past her into the shop. Goddamn , she thought, running her hands through her hair as she followed Lauren to the counter.
Lauren held her breath as she felt Grey stop behind her. Every nerve ending in her body seemed to be attuned to Grey’s presence, and she both loved and hated that Grey affected her so acutely. Loved it because it had been so long since anyone had made her feel anything like this, and hated it because there was no way for her to know what any of it meant. She dimly heard Grey order a single scoop of mint ‘n chip on a sugar cone, and she cleared her throat softly when the shopkeeper’s eyes landed on her. “Rocky road.”
It seemed like the most appropriate choice, given her current emotional state.
Lauren paid for their ice cream since Grey had paid their dinner tab while she had been in the bathroom, and then they made their way out the door to a bench that sat right at the water’s edge. The pretense of enjoying their dessert made up for the lack of conversation between them, and Lauren pretended that she did not notice the way Grey kept looking at her.
Grey could not look away from Lauren as the wind blowing in off the water stirred lightly through Lauren’s hair, sending the wild tresses fluttering around her face. Her fingers itched to reach out and tuck the strands behind Lauren’s ears, and it was all she could do to contain the urge. The electricity between them palpable, but electricity alone was not enough for her to take such liberties. Her breath caught when Lauren turned to look at her, and a slow, lopsided smile quirked her lips when she noticed a smear of chocolate ice cream on the side of Lauren’s mouth. “Hold still,” she murmured as she lifted a hand to wipe it off, “you have some ice cream on your face.”
Before Lauren could take care of i t herself, Grey’s fingers were gliding over her jaw, and a soft thumb was swiping slowly over the corner of her mouth. Her pulse raced as Grey’s thumb lingered against her lips, and she frowned. “I…”
“Got it. ” Grey did not pull her hand away, but instead left it wrapped lightly around Lauren’s jaw. Her eyes darted over Lauren’s face, from her lips to her eyes that sparkled with both surprise and desire, and she let out a shaky sigh as she began to lean in closer.
“This is a really bad idea,” Lauren whispered, her eyes fluttering shut as Grey’s breath landed lightly on her lips. Bad idea or not, she could not find the willpower to pull away. Her stomach fluttered with anticipation as Grey’s mouth hovered just out of reach, warm and soft and full of promise, and her heart leapt into her throat when she felt the air in front of her stir.
“Maybe.” Grey ran the tip of her nose over Lauren’s cheek. “But all the best ones are,” she murmured as she closed the gap between them and finally captured Lauren’s lips with her own.
Chapter 1 7
Kissing Grey was
“Yeah?”
“Absolutely.” Lauren could not suppress the pleasant shudder that rolled up her spine at the feeling of Grey’s hand brushing lightly over her lower back when she walked past her, and her stomach flipped at the way Grey’s breath hitched in response. Yes, whatever it was that was going on between them, they were definitely treading on dangerous ground. “How far is it to the ice cream shop?”
Grey pointed at a cluster of shops in front of them as she stepped onto the boardwalk beside Lauren. “It’s just up there.”
They walked down the boardwalk to the ice cream shop in silence, their arms brushing together every so often, Lauren’s heart skipping a beat at every light touch, and she gave Grey a small, shaky smile when she held the door to the shop open for her. “Thank you.”
“My ple asure.” Grey’s mouth went dry when Lauren’s eyes found hers, and she swallowed thickly as Lauren pushed past her into the shop. Goddamn , she thought, running her hands through her hair as she followed Lauren to the counter.
Lauren held her breath as she felt Grey stop behind her. Every nerve ending in her body seemed to be attuned to Grey’s presence, and she both loved and hated that Grey affected her so acutely. Loved it because it had been so long since anyone had made her feel anything like this, and hated it because there was no way for her to know what any of it meant. She dimly heard Grey order a single scoop of mint ‘n chip on a sugar cone, and she cleared her throat softly when the shopkeeper’s eyes landed on her. “Rocky road.”
It seemed like the most appropriate choice, given her current emotional state.
Lauren paid for their ice cream since Grey had paid their dinner tab while she had been in the bathroom, and then they made their way out the door to a bench that sat right at the water’s edge. The pretense of enjoying their dessert made up for the lack of conversation between them, and Lauren pretended that she did not notice the way Grey kept looking at her.
Grey could not look away from Lauren as the wind blowing in off the water stirred lightly through Lauren’s hair, sending the wild tresses fluttering around her face. Her fingers itched to reach out and tuck the strands behind Lauren’s ears, and it was all she could do to contain the urge. The electricity between them palpable, but electricity alone was not enough for her to take such liberties. Her breath caught when Lauren turned to look at her, and a slow, lopsided smile quirked her lips when she noticed a smear of chocolate ice cream on the side of Lauren’s mouth. “Hold still,” she murmured as she lifted a hand to wipe it off, “you have some ice cream on your face.”
Before Lauren could take care of i t herself, Grey’s fingers were gliding over her jaw, and a soft thumb was swiping slowly over the corner of her mouth. Her pulse raced as Grey’s thumb lingered against her lips, and she frowned. “I…”
“Got it. ” Grey did not pull her hand away, but instead left it wrapped lightly around Lauren’s jaw. Her eyes darted over Lauren’s face, from her lips to her eyes that sparkled with both surprise and desire, and she let out a shaky sigh as she began to lean in closer.
“This is a really bad idea,” Lauren whispered, her eyes fluttering shut as Grey’s breath landed lightly on her lips. Bad idea or not, she could not find the willpower to pull away. Her stomach fluttered with anticipation as Grey’s mouth hovered just out of reach, warm and soft and full of promise, and her heart leapt into her throat when she felt the air in front of her stir.
“Maybe.” Grey ran the tip of her nose over Lauren’s cheek. “But all the best ones are,” she murmured as she closed the gap between them and finally captured Lauren’s lips with her own.
Chapter 1 7
Kissing Grey was
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