It's About Time (Blossom Peak #4)(74)

Shit. She’s right. But the last thing I want her to think is the reason I ran in here and kissed her was because of what Tori and my friends said. Truth be told, I’ve wanted to kiss her long before that conversation—it just finally gave me the courage to. “Well, just consider that payback for the stunt you pulled in my office.”

“What stunt?”

“The bra spinning.”

Recognition flashes across her face. “Oh.”

A throat clearing behind us bursts our bubble. I twist my head to find Laney standing there, still holding Dilynne’s glass of wine, her lips parted and her eyes blinking slowly. “Uh, you two might want to find a darker corner if you want to continue that display.” She hands the glass to Dilynne. “Because this is a family establishment, and that kiss bordered on softcore porn.”

Dilynne shoves me away from her, lifting the wine to her lips to drain the rest of the liquid from her glass. “No need to continue. That was…enough.”

No. It certainly wasn’t.

But one step at a time, Elliot.

One step at a time.





Chapter 21





Dilynne



And The Piercing Is…


I barely have a second to assess myself in the bathroom mirror before Laney, Elodie, and Vienna come scurrying in after me.

Elodie’s eyes are the widest among the three of them. “What the hell just happened out there?”

I meet her eyes in the mirror. “I have no fucking clue, but I’m pretty sure I need to change my underwear after that kiss.”

Vienna snorts. “Jesus, girl. Watching you guys got me all riled up too.”

Laney clears her throat. “But your brother wasn’t too pleased.”

I roll my eyes. “I could give a fuck about Henley right now.” Reaching up, I brush my fingers over my lips, still feeling Elliot’s mouth on mine, like a ghost that’s haunting me the longer I stand here. “I don’t even know what to think.”

“ Listen to your vagina. That’s what you usually do,” Laney says with a smirk on her lips.

I turn to face her. “If I did that, I’d be taking Elliot out to my car and riding him in the front seat right now.”

Elodie folds her lips in to hide her smile. “Oh my God. Vienna was so right. He totally has a thing for you!”

Vienna shrugs. “I told you.”

Twisting around finally to face all three of them head-on, I search their faces. “Does he? I mean, what the hell happened to make him storm into the building and kiss me like that? It was so out of character, so…”

Laney holds her hands out to her side as she shrugs. “I have no clue, but obviously, he had no reservations about it. He came walking in with a purpose, like a romantic lead in a movie, hell-bent on getting the girl.”

“But this is all fake,” I counter. “He could have just done that to show people that we’re actually together…”

Vienna shakes her head. “There was no hesitation in what he just did, Dilynne. That man knew exactly what he wanted, and he took it.”

Yes. He. Did.

He took my breath, my sanity, and my resolve all with one kiss.

Dear God.

Elliot Thorne almost made me come with his kiss alone, and now I’m dying to know what other talents the man possesses.

This is a big fucking problem.

And speaking of big—that anaconda he’s hiding in his shorts is only fueling my desire to take that man for a test drive. The piercing was one thing, but now I’m dying to feel him in the back of my throat and bottomed out inside me.

I c ould sense his size the handful of times we’ve been pressed together in the past few weeks, but tonight? When he wrapped my leg around his waist, I truly felt him.

Wait. Did he lift my leg up or did I?

“I—I’m so confused right now.” My breaths become more shallow the longer I stand here, on the brink of a nervous breakdown. “This wasn’t supposed to happen. I’m not supposed to…”

“What if you do?” Laney cuts me off, her voice gentle as she rests her hand on my back, rubbing it in small circles. “What if you do let this happen, Dilynne?”

My eyes meet hers. “I cannot sleep with Elliot.”

“Based on that kiss, I think you most certainly could. And it would be hot,” Laney teases.

“But it’s…Elliot,” I say, bringing up the one thing that I think I’m struggling to wrap my head around the most.

The three of them burst into laughter, leaving me no closer to processing the myriad of emotions I’m feeling right now.

Elliot Thorne has somehow transformed from the man I vowed to hate to the man I hate that I want to kiss again, among other things.

Once Laney composes herself, she smiles over at me and shrugs. “I’ve always thought there was something between you two, and tonight just proved it. You don’t have to decide anything tonight. Just stop pretending nothing’s there. Elliot opened the door to a physical connection, so maybe you explore that. Lord knows that’s more your language, anyway.”

“I figured we were going to have to kiss eventually, but that was…” Closing my eyes, I inhale deeply and blow it out. “Shit. I need another drink.”