I could chalk it up to his years of experience and that was why the kiss was so memorable, but I knew it was because it was just Colton. He knew he was affecting me in a way that left me wanting more.
And I did.
It seemed like hours had passed when he finally pulled away, but in reality, it had been just seconds. Colton had this way of causing me to lose all sense of time when I was around him.
“Are you two done?” Alex’s voice called out from behind me. Shock and embarrassment threatened to overwhelm me as I took a step away from Colton. His hand dropped from my hip and I immediately missed its warmth. Something I was going to have to force myself to forget.
Those walls I’d taken down quickly resurfaced as I realized what my sister had witnessed.
My eyes narrowed into slits as I focused them on Colton, who shook his head.
“I thought you said no one was around,” I said angrily. If I knew it wouldn’t make me appear like a petulant child, I would have stomped my foot simultaneously.
He may not care about being front page news in the local newspaper, The Ashfield Times, but I sure as hell did.
“She just came back, Autumn. No one saw anything. You don’t have anything to be embarrassed about.”
Behind his carefree smile, I saw the hint of something else. Something that looked like I’d hurt his feelings.
“Colton. . .I. . .” I began as I reached for his hand, but the words were stuck in the back of my throat. I didn’t know what to say to make any of it better.
Thank goodness for Alex’s interruption when she jingled her keys and said that she was leaving.
Together, Colton and I both stepped away from the truck. I did my best not to swoon when he placed his hand on my lower back as we waved goodbye to my sister.
The large gravel lot was now empty save for the glorious mountains across the way. Neither of us spoke for a moment, but I relished in the feel of Colton’s hand remaining on my back.
A minute passed before he slid his hand around to rest on the dip at my waist as he stepped around to face me, blocking my view of the peaks.
“In actuality, I came to let you know that you left your binder in my truck last night. Your dad had mentioned that you and your sisters had a stand here at the market, so I took a chance that I’d find you here.”
“Well, you found me,” I said, sounding breathless to my own ears. I didn’t run often, but I imagined that was what I’d sound like after a marathon.
“I can grab it and bring it to you if you can tell me where you parked.”
“So, you didn’t come here just to kiss me again?” I asked, puzzled by the complete change in topic.
“That was just a nice hope. One that I hadn’t stopped thinking about since I kissed you yesterday.” My gaze dipped downward at the realization that I had affected him the same way that he had affected me. I’d never imagined a kiss could hold that kind of power.
“So, the binder?” he prompted with a gentle squeeze at my waist.
I shook my head slightly and brought my attention back to Colton. A thought launched in my head, one that I was probably going to regret, but I found myself asking anyway.
“We have family dinner on Saturday nights. I know you mentioned you don’t cook and I thought, maybe, if you wanted, you could. . .I don’t know-”
“Are you asking me to come to dinner tonight?”
“Yes. I mean, no. I mean. . .you could bring the binder to the house. And I know my dad would love to hear-” The man silenced me with another kiss. This one was quick but no less heated.
“Stop talking,” he commanded as he pulled back. “I would love to join your family for dinner tonight.”
I had a secret suspicion he had chosen those words carefully.
Abruptly, Colton requested to walk me to my car and he followed dutifully until we reached the spot I snagged on the street.
“Dinner is at six,” I added as I opened the driver’s side door and turned to face him.
Colton’s eyes darted around the street, probably taking in the number of people milling about. We weren’t secluded as we had been before.
Reaching out, he gently squeezed the hand that hung loosely at my hip, then gestured for me to get in the car with a small tilt of his head. “I’ll see you then.”
In the car, my hand shook as I pressed the ignition button to start the car and it took all my strength not to turn my head to watch Colton as I pulled out of the parking spot. But I snuck a few glances in my rearview mirror, wondering what kind of mistake I had just made.
From my purse I heard my phone buzz and then the Bluetooth in the car prompted to read aloud the message. Taking a deep breath, I pressed the okay button.
“From Alex. Lucy, you got some explaining to do.”
Yeah, I was definitely going to regret asking him to join us for dinner. I just wasn’t sure if that was on my behalf or his.
Quickly I darted into the parking lot for Chuck’s Grocery and dialed my mom, who picked up immediately.
“Autumn, is everything okay?”
“Yeah. . .um. . .do we need anything from the store?”
“I don’t think so. Why?”
“Well, um. . .” I began, knowing I was about to be on the receiving end of my mother’s high-pitched squeal. “I invited our new neighbor to join us for dinner.”
