Then again, hell, it was just a walk, and she actually didn’t know where she was, so…
“Sure. I’d like that.”
Lena shoved the responsible-mommy part of her that was sending up warning flares and SOS signals down into some deep, dark box that she could ignore for at least a few more minutes.
Elliot reached out and took her hand, his brow lifting in a brief question. She should pull away. Her momentary lapse in judgment was already coming back to bite her in the ass. Because all she wanted to do was finish what they’d started. That small taste hadn’t been nearly enough. And if one tiny kiss could affect her this much, then anything more would be a colossal mistake. She should walk, no run, away.
Instead, she curled her fingers around his and tried to keep from taking his hand and rubbing her cheek over it like a cat scent-marking its territory. His thumb lightly caressed her skin as they walked. Each stroke was like adding a new butterfly to the mix already cascading through her stomach, fluttering uncontrollably at the mere touch of his skin brushing hers.
Good God, if she was finding it difficult to do normal things like breathe and hold a coherent thought in her head just because he held her hand, she could only imagine what it would feel like if he touched other parts of her. Bare skin to bare skin. She inhaled so quickly at the fantasy images flooding her head that it came out in a soft gasp, and Elliot looked down at her.
“You okay?”
“Yeah, fine.” Except for her cheeks, which were filling with enough blood to make her light-headed. “Must have swallowed a bug or something.”
Elliot grimaced. “I hope it was a mosquito. The damn things have been eating me alive.”
She grinned. “Me, too. Actually, here.” She stopped and reluctantly pulled her hand from his so she could dig around in her fanny pack.
Elliot peered into the recesses of the bag, eyes narrowed.
“What?” she asked, pulling out a small tin container.
“I’ve been meaning to ask why you carry that thing. What could possibly be important enough that you need to strap that monstrosity onto your body?”
From someone else, that might have hurt her feelings. But there was no malice in Elliot. He might be poking a little fun, but somehow he exuded enough good will that you could tell he was having fun with you, not at you. There was a huge difference. And besides, she was well aware of how unfashionable the Mommy Pack was, as Tyler called it.
She held up the tin. “So I always have stuff like this on hand, for one. I have a kid. I used to carry around a purse large enough to pack half our house in. Okay, I still carry that thing around, but for trips such as these, the pack works great. I’ve got baby wipes, hand sanitizer, sunscreen, tissues, a little bottle of water, tweezers… Well, you get the point. It’s always better to be prepared.”
Elliot was laughing, though his eyes looked slightly glazed over. “And what is that stuff?” he asked, pointing at the tin she was opening.
She scooped a little of the ointment onto her finger. “Bug bite remedy.”
“You made this?” He took the tin from her and sniffed it.
“Mmm-hmm. Just some coconut oil, a little olive oil, and some other essential oils. Works better than any store stuff I’ve found.”
“It actually smells pretty good. You sure this won’t make them eat me more?”
She laughed. “No, I promise. Now where does it itch?”
He pointed to a few spots on his arms, and she applied the balm to the bites, taking her time as she did so. Not so slow that she was being obvious about it. She hoped. But long enough to enjoy the feel of his skin and the muscles beneath it. Such an intoxicating mix of soft and hard. She wondered how that skin would feel beneath her lips. She leaned closer. Her mouth actually parted slightly, like she would quickly lean forward and take a tiny taste.
She caught herself in time, before she did anything too humiliating. Barely.
She started to pull away, but Elliot’s voice stopped her. “You missed one.”
Lena glanced up. Elliot’s gaze burned into hers, and he closed the already small distance between them so she was nearly pressed against his body.
Her breath hitched, but she tried to force herself to breathe normally.
“Where?” she said, though it was more a whisper than an actual word.
He pointed to a spot on his neck, just under his ear. She scooped a little more ointment out, and he leaned down so she could get to the bite. It put his face mere inches from hers, their breath mingling together while she tended to the bite. She rubbed the balm on it for much longer than necessary.
Elliot reached up and took her hand. She tried to pull away, heat burning her cheeks. But he didn’t let her. Instead, he pulled her even closer. Her startled eyes met his. He moved slowly enough that she could back away if she wanted. But she didn’t. Sweet Mother of all that was holy, she was very happy to stay right where she was. The responsible wench having a shit fit in her head could shut the hell up. No way was Lena turning this down.
Elliot smiled against her lips and whispered, “Thank you.”
She had half a second to wonder if he was thanking her for the bite balm or for letting him kiss her before his lips covered hers. It started gently, just a sweet kiss, a bare brush of his lips on hers. Even that small touch had sparks shooting through her, jump starting her heart. Then his hand came up to cup her face, his fingers threading into her hair, and he pulled her in closer, his lips increasing the pressure, moving with hers. His other hand tightened around her waist, drawing her in as close to him as she could get.
She leaned into him. His rock hard chest beneath her softer curves made her want to rub against him like a cat against a bedpost. If he kept up the magic his lips were working she’d be purring too. Her wrists trailed up his arms. She still held the bite balm, but she had no intention of breaking the kiss to put it away. She’d make do.
His lips parted, and he kissed her again, tilting his head for a better angle. His tongue flicked against her lips, and she opened for him, sucking in a sharp breath that ended on a quiet moan in the back of her throat. The noise spurred him on, and he crushed her to him, exploring every corner of her mouth, their lips moving together, tasting each other like they’d never get enough. Her heart raced, every nerve ending tingling. She wrapped her arms around his neck, rising onto her toes so she could get closer.
It was a good thing he was holding on to her because she’d fall over if he let go. She’d read about the whole light-headed feeling in her romance novels, even had a friend tell her that’s how she’d felt the first time she’d kissed her husband. But Lena had never had someone kiss her until her toes curled and she got dizzy. Either it had been too long since she’d been kissed or he was just that damn good.
Elliot came up for air, tilted his head in the other direction, and dragged her back to his lips with both hands cupping her face. Lena moaned again. Oh yeah. He was that good.
Tap, tap, tap.
Giggles erupted and someone tapped on the glass again. Lena gasped and jerked herself out of Elliot’s arms. She hadn’t realized they’d come to a stop right in front of the day care center doors and half a dozen little faces were smiling up at them from behind the window set in the door.
Heat flooded her face, and she took another step away from Elliot, sending up a quick prayer of thanks to whoever was listening that Tyler wasn’t one of the kids who’d seen them.
She shoved the bite balm back into her fanny pack and tucked her hair behind her ear. She found it hard to meet Elliot’s gaze again. Now why would that be? Hmm, maybe because she’d been making out like a teenager in front of a room full of preschoolers. Smooth. Very smooth.