It was such a simple, innocent gesture—holding hands—but there was a significance to it that Danny could not overlook, and coupled with the fact that everyone else at the table was completely oblivious to what was going on just beneath it, it seemed that much more intimate.
She shifted her hand and their thumbs met, circling around each other’s slowly.
Okay, he was wrong. He had thought holding someone’s hand was innocent, but this was so goddamn sensual in its simplicity that it made him want to throw her down on the booth and cover her mouth with his.
You need to get the fuck out of here. Now.
His fingers tightened around hers for just a moment before he cleared his throat and slid his hand out of her grasp.
“Alright, I’m gonna head out,” he said as he stood, and Leah’s expression dropped slightly as she looked up at him.
Give a reason.
“I have to be at the shop early tomorrow.”
“On a Saturday?” Jake asked, cocking his head.
Two years. He’d make him clean the shop floor for two years.
“Yeah,” he said, running his hand through his hair. “An old friend of mine wants me to do a rebuild for him, and I promised him I’d get it done in good time.” He stared at Jake a little longer than he needed to, hoping he got the message, before he turned to the girls.
“It was so nice to meet you guys,” he said, and then he looked at Leah. “I’ll talk to you soon?”
She smiled, reaching up to fiddle with her earring again as she nodded.
He turned then, because if he had to look at the poorly shielded disappointment on her face for another second, he would slide right back into that booth and spend the rest of the night doing anything she asked of him.
Danny forced his way through the crowd for the second time that night, only this time, instead of feeling desperate to get to the door, he felt a tug in his chest, demanding that he turn back the way he came.
He pushed the door open, ducking his head against the wind as he jammed in his hands in his pockets.
“Such an asshole,” he mumbled to himself, shaking his head. He had no idea why the hell he’d done that. Everything was going perfectly. They were having fun. Friends out at a bar. That was his plan for the night.
And then he had to go and put his hands on her.
He laughed bitterly, running his hand over his eyes.
“Danny!”
His head jerked up as he stopped short, looking over his shoulder.
She was standing just outside the bar, bouncing on the balls of her feet as she wrung her hands together in front of her.
He turned, walking back toward her, and she took a tentative step forward before she picked up speed and met him in the middle.
Her eyes were wide, almost panicky, as she approached him.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
She opened her mouth to speak, but then closed it without saying anything.
“Is everything okay?” he asked.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” she said. “I just…I didn’t say good-bye to you in there. So I just…wanted to say good-bye.”
“Okay,” he said with the hint of a smile.
“Okay, so,” she looked down, spinning her bracelet over her wrist before glancing back up at him. “Good-bye.”
The smile he’d been fighting finally broke as he nodded once. “Good-bye.”
She stood there, staring up at him, and he knew if he didn’t leave, he was going to do something stupid. Danny turned away from her, freezing when he felt her grip his bicep.
He spun to face her just as she took a step toward him, going up on her toes as she brought her mouth to his.
He froze.
She stilled against him, and for a moment, they just stood there, both struggling to get over the shock of what had just happened. But then her lips softened against his as they parted gently, closing over his bottom one.
He still hadn’t moved.
He could feel his heart slamming in his chest, preparing his body for action, but it was as if he no longer had control of his body.
Her mouth parted again, and this time she brushed the tip of her tongue along his bottom lip before she closed hers over it.
It felt like something inside his chest snapped.
Danny grabbed her face in his hands, pulling her mouth to his as he kissed her back. She pressed her body against him, and he slid his hand to the back of her head, knotting his fingers in her hair.
Slow down. Too rough.
But he couldn’t stop. Her lips were so fucking perfect and he needed this and she was so beautiful and he couldn’t stop.
She moaned lightly against his lips, gripping the back of his shirt and tugging him closer as her tongue entered his mouth, and his hand came to her hip, squeezing it firmly as he tried to keep himself grounded.
Fuck. She was going to make him hard right here on the sidewalk.
As if she had heard him, Leah slowed the kiss down, pulling back slightly before bringing their mouths back together, languidly running her tongue over his.
His hand in her hair went slack as it slid down to caress her neck.
She pressed her hips against him as she caught his bottom lip between her teeth, and his other hand slid around to cup her ass, holding her against his body.
And then his eyes flew open as he pushed her away, taking a quick step back.
She gasped as she stumbled backward, staring up at him with wide eyes.
His breath was coming in short bursts, the white puffs of vapor clouding the image of her standing before him.
And then he whirled around, jamming his fists in his pockets as he stormed off down the sidewalk.
Danny ripped the keys from his pocket and hit the button to unlock his door, trying to make his legs move faster. When he finally reached his car, he yanked the door open and slid inside, starting it before he had closed the door behind him.
He didn’t even check for traffic before he pulled out onto the street, hitting the gas and causing the tires to squeal slightly as he took off down the road.
Just before he rounded the corner, he made his final stupid move of the night.
He looked up at his rearview mirror.
The last thing he saw before he made the turn was Leah standing on the sidewalk, her fingertips pressed to her lips as she watched him speed away.
One week.
It had been one week since she’d kissed Danny outside The Rabbit Hole. One week since she’d totally put herself out there for the first time in years. One week since the fire coursed through her veins and burned in her belly at the feel of his mouth on hers.
And one week since she’d heard from him at all.
He hadn’t called. He hadn’t texted. But the most frustrating thing of all was, this time Leah knew it was her fault. After all, she had been the one to push boundaries multiple times that night. She had been the one to initiate the touching under the table. She had been the one to chase him outside after he’d already said good-bye. And she had been the one to initiate that kiss.
She wasn’t angry at him; it wasn’t his fault if he wasn’t interested in her that way. In fact, it was something she had sort of suspected all along. But now she’d made it awkward; he probably wouldn’t ever call or text her again for fear he’d be sending her the wrong signals.
Robyn and Holly had been so upset on the drive home, alternating between bouts of silence and strings of apologies for pressuring Leah to go out after him that night. She tried over and over to reassure them, telling them it just meant Danny wasn’t into her, and it was probably better she found that out sooner rather than later. This seemed to placate them, and Leah found it somewhat amusing that she was the one doing the consoling when she had just made a complete fool of herself in front of a guy she really liked.