“You taste divine,” I whispered against his mouth, and felt it curve into a grin. He swept kisses along my jaw, up my cheek, and then disappeared somewhere underneath my ear, and just behind. I squealed a little, but the good kind, where it’s almost tickling but incredible at the same time. I dropped my head back as he continued a path down my neck, still dipping me, mind you, and I laughed hazily at the fairy lights above. The tiki bar and all its colorful umbrellas. The pink teddy bear on the chair.

Which he won for me. And now he was kissing me, and I was loving it. And I would seriously let him love me all over this patio . . . if I didn’t get my head together. But holy fudge, those lips . . .

I let myself indulge for one or two more seconds . . . or three or ten . . . and then I brought his face back to mine. Because I couldn’t think clearly when the man had his lips on my neck. Oh, yeah.

Oh . . . no.

Did I want to be doing this? Now? Right after he saw his ex? After his head was admittedly messed with, not just by Little Miss Crap Show but by my extra-strong witchcraft? This felt good, oh boy did it feel good, but I wanted more than good. Selfishly? I wanted my own night. My own evening, separate from everyone and anyone, past or present. And preferably not sponsored by Mattress Giant.

With the strength of a thousand nuns, I placed one more chaste kiss on those impossibly sinful lips, and pushed him away. Just slightly, but enough for him to know our dancing dip was coming to a close. At least for now.

“Chlo?”

“It’s late.”

“But the kissing,” he murmured, sweeping another line of perfect tiny kisses across the hollow of my throat. Which I cleared.

“You’ve had a long day; we’ve both had a long day. We should . . . Jesus, you look good in moonlight . . . Oh my God, I can’t believe I just said that,” I mumbled, feeling my cheeks heat. And my tummy burble. Oh boy, too many mai tais. “I think we’d better call it a night.” I started for the door, but he caught my hand.

“What just happened here?”

“You kissed me.”

“You kissed me.”

“No way, mister, you kissed me first. I kissed you back.”

“You let me dip you. You knew a kiss was coming,” he said, arching an eyebrow.

“I admit, I had a feeling.” I smiled, touching my fingertips to my lips, still able to feel it. Fudge, I could feel it in my toes. “But no more—not tonight.” I hurried him through the house, toward the front door.

“ ‘Not tonight’? What did you think was going to happen here?” He looked amused.

“I know what could have happened, very easily. But not when I’m already in my panties.”

“We can take care of that real quick,” he said, now waggling his eyebrows back and forth like a villain.

“Out,” I said with a laugh.

“Girls are weird,” he said as I pushed on his back.

“We totally are. You’re okay to drive home?”

“Sure, I only had a few sips. Are you seriously kicking me out?”

“It had nothing to do with the kissing.”

“I should hope not. That was some damn fine kissing.”

“Agreed.” I nodded. “It’s just a lot to process, all in one night.”

“What do you mean?” he asked, looking at me carefully.

“I mean, we had this amazing day with your family. You won me a bear. You gave me the best first kiss of my entire life. It’s a lot to think about. And believe me, I’m thinking about it. And when I’m in bed in about ten minutes, I’m going to choose to remember those parts, and mentally skip right over the scene with your ex.”

“Ahhhh,” he sighed, understanding.

“Ahhh is right. I just . . . I’ve been thinking about you, and us, in that way, for awhile now I guess. And I want my own night.” I covered my face. “Does that make any sense at all?”

“It actually does, a little bit,” he replied, taking my hands away from my face and holding them in his own. “You think I came here tonight because of Julie?”

“Didn’t you? A little bit?”

“I came here to see you, Chloe. That’s it,” he said, pulling me against his chest and wrapping his arms around me. “My head was messed up tonight, sure. But not that messed up.”

“It was a great day, Lucas. Thank you,” I whispered into his shirt. I might have to steal this one from him, too. Finally, I pulled out of his arms and pushed him toward the front steps.

He stopped in the driveway and turned around. “The best first kiss of your life?” he asked, his eyes all a-twinkle.

“Oh, yeah,” I said with a grin, and he took one step forward. “Uh-uh, no more.”

“Just one more?”

“Turn. It. Around,” I insisted, stepping back inside. “Call me tomorrow?” I asked, peeking around the door as I closed it.

“You can count on it.”

Chapter thirteen

The next day was a blur. When Lucas finally left the night before, the memory of that kiss, and those lovely kisses that followed, lingered on my lips like a ghost of something incredible. There was more passion, more promise in that kiss than I had ever experienced in my entire relationship with Charles. And I couldn’t get it out of my mind.

Of course part of me wished that I’d asked him to stay, and I’m pretty sure he would have. But he also seemed to understand why I’d stopped him, why I needed to make sure that when this finally happened, we were both in the clear. Just Lucas and Chloe, rather than Lucas and Chloe and Julie.