"That must've been hard," I say. "Not just the thing with the other guy. But losing her. Losing the person you love."
He leans back against the counter, drying his hand on a towel. "The thing is, I'm starting to wonder if I ever really loved her. Or if I just thought I did because we'd gone out for so long and were basically living together."
I set my dish towel down. "You don't think you loved her?"
"Part of me did, but the other part of me always had this nagging feeling that something wasn't right between Marissa and me. So it's good it ended. It would've been a mistake to marry her."
He turns back to the counter, drops his hand towel, and reaches around me for a cookie, his body brushing against mine.
"You have no concerns about personal space, do you?" I ask as he stands right in front of me, eating his cookie.
"Not when it's someone I like being close to." He smiles while chomping on his cookie.
He's flirting again. I've decided Nash is just the type of guy who flirts with everyone. He's outgoing and confident and says what he thinks, which I'm sure gets him a lot of girls. That, and the fact that he's really hot.
My water glass from dinner is on the counter next to me and he picks it up, still standing just inches away from me.
"Are you going to move?" I ask as he gulps down the water.
He chuckles as he sets the glass down, then leans forward, planting his hands on the counter behind me, blocking me in. "I think I'll just stay here and see how uncomfortable I can make you."
"You've accomplished your goal. Now would you move?" My eyes are directed at his massive chest, which is hovering over me. God, he smells good. I just want to drink in that scent for a moment.
"I'll move if you let me take home a few of those cookies."
"You can take them all if you want." I turn toward the counter and he finally steps back, giving me room. "I'll wrap them up for you."
"Don't you want some for yourself?"
"I'll have one, but I don't need any more than that. I work at a bakery. I could eat cookies all day if I wanted to." I take a cookie and break it in half, offering it to him. "Here. I don't want the whole thing."
He pops the entire half in his mouth, chews, and swallows while I'm still nibbling on mine.
"What?" I ask, because he's staring at me. "Did you want the rest of my cookie? Just take another one. There's plenty there."
"I don't want another one."
"Then why are you staring at me like that?"
His sexy grin appears. "Because you have chocolate all over the left side of your mouth."
"Oh." I lick it off, and notice Nash watching me even more intently, specifically my mouth. "Did I get it?"
"No."
"Well, tell me where it is." I reach up to touch my mouth but he catches my wrist, stopping me. Our eyes meet and I feel the heat rise in the room. I can deny it all I want but there is some serious chemistry between us.
He loosens his hold on my wrist but doesn't let go. "I've always wanted to do this."
"Do what?" I ask.
"You know how in movies, when the girl has something on her lips and the guy cleans it off for her?"
"Yeah." I laugh a little. "It's in every romance movie. Totally cheesy."
"Is it?" He steps closer.
"Why can't she just clean it off herself?" I glance away as he lowers my hand to my side, then lets it go.
"Maybe she'd rather have him do it."
"Maybe," I say, looking up at him.
He puts his hand on the side of my face, but hesitates, like he doesn't want to do it.
"Go ahead," I tell him. "Wipe it off. Your hand's already there."
"I didn't plan to use my hand." And with that, he leans in, tipping my head back slightly, and slowly licking the chocolate from my mouth. My body is hit with a flood of sensations that reach all the way down to my toes.
He reaches around my waist and draws me into him, his other hand still holding my head as his lips press against mine for a slow, extremely hot kiss. I breathe out a moan and his tongue slips into my mouth and he takes the kiss deeper. I reach up and wrap my hand around the back of his neck, pulling him closer. He's so tall, I feel like he's too far away.
He must read my mind because the next thing I know, his hands grip my waist and he lifts me up onto the kitchen counter. That one move, which he made seem effortless even though I'm sure it wasn't, has got me even hotter for him. My fingers get to work on his shirt, quickly unbuttoning it as we continue to kiss. His hands land on my thighs, sliding my legs apart as he steps up against me. He reaches around my waist and yanks me toward him. His shirt is now completely undone and I run my hands over his smooth, hard chest as our kisses intensify. Hot, deep kisses.
I sigh in disappointment when his lips pull away, but then smile when I feel them along the side of my neck, kissing their way up to my ear.