Three Little Words (Fool's Gold #12)(28)

His mouth twitched. “Didn’t I mention the kids?”

She shoved away his arm. “You’re horrible. Don’t tease about that. I lie awake nights thinking how much harder my divorce would have been if Eric and I had had a child.”

He removed his glasses again and took the cup from her. After tossing it in a trash can, he squeezed her fingers. “I’m sorry. I won’t joke about having babies with you.”

She was going to snap at him again, but suddenly she couldn’t speak. Because the second he said “babies” she found herself enveloped in a longing so deep and profound it nearly brought tears to her eyes.

She was divorced. Not that she regretted the breakup of a marriage that had been a mistake from the beginning, but here she was. Twenty-eight and single. Starting over. While she’d never thought much about having kids, she’d always assumed they were in her future. She was traditional enough to want a husband in the picture. She’d worked hard, thought she’d done everything right, and now she was divorced, living in her parents’ house, without a real job and only a few wisps of dreams to sustain her.

Ford grabbed her other hand. “What? You’re having a crisis. I can see it.”

“I’m fine,” she said automatically. “It’s not about you, so don’t worry.”

“You’re my girlfriend. Of course I’m worried.”

“Pretend girlfriend.”

“You get worry perks. Come on. Tell me. What is it?”

She opened her mouth, then closed it. “I’m a failure. It’s been six years since I graduated from college and look at where I am. Back in my same bedroom, with nothing to show for how I’ve spent my time.”

“Is this about missing Eric?”

“What? Of course not. He and I should never have gotten married. I mistook great friendship for love. I’d never felt passion, so I wasn’t expecting it. I didn’t notice the guy I was marrying was g*y. How is that possible? I loved my job, but I was going nowhere. Now I’m here.”

“Not for long,” he told her. “You and Sonia are going to open your store and take the fashion world by storm.”

Despite her sense of failure, she managed a smile. “Do you even know what the fashion world is?”

“No, but you’ll do great.”

He was trying. She would give him credit. “Thanks. Sorry to dump this on you. I’ll be fine.”

“You sure?”

She nodded. Eventually she would be. Maybe she hadn’t been spending enough time on her business plan. She would call Sonia next week and touch base with her. They should talk more, she decided. Make sure everything was in order.

“I need to distract myself,” she said. “Maybe you’re right about the sugar thing. We could get an elephant ear and share it.”

“Or we could do this.”

Without warning, he dropped her hands, which was sad, because she was liking the feel of his fingers against hers. Only instead of stepping away, he wrapped his arms around her and drew her against him.

She went because, well, she wasn’t sure why. But when she got there, she found it was really nice to be pressed up against Ford. Before she could lean in against all those muscles, he lowered his head and brushed his mouth against hers.

The touch was unexpected. Hot and tender at the same time. Almost teasing as if this were a game. If so, she wanted to play, she thought as her arms settled on his shoulders and her fingers found their way to the back of his neck.

Without meaning to, without thinking, she tilted her head. His mouth settled more firmly on hers. The next logical step was for her to part her lips, so she did. He moved his tongue against her lower lip before slipping it into her mouth, where it tangled with hers.

Several things happened at once. The sensible part of her brain pointed out that not only were they in the middle of town, standing on a street during a festival, but he was only doing this because he was trying to fake out his mother.

The rest of her quickly smothered the information with a flurry of impressions. The coolness of his hair against her fingers. The way her br**sts flattened against his chest. The pressure of his palms rubbing against the small of her back.

A liquid sensation seemed to flow through her, stealing her strength and leaving her pliable and willing. Wanting stirred—nearly unrecognizable in its unfamiliarity. But the need to get closer, to climb into him and be completely a part of whatever it was they were doing, was inescapable.

He kissed her deeply, stirring her with every stroke. She answered in kind, wanting to arouse him as much as he aroused her. She felt heat on her cheeks, tightness in her ni**les and stirring between her thighs. For the first time in her life, she was faced with burning sexual need. It both frightened and empowered her.

She felt less controlled and more driven by need. She had always regretted when the foreplay came to an end and things got serious, but not today. Today she wanted Ford’s hands on her body. Every part of her body. She wanted him touching and rubbing and nipping until she... Okay, that part was less clear, but one thing was certain. The kissing wasn’t getting it done.

This was what her friends were talking about, she thought as she hung on to him. This desire to be naked and touch and taste. She wanted to explore all of Ford, to discover where hard planes led and caress the unexpected tender valleys. She wanted to breathe in the scent of him, to have him hold her and fill her over and over again as he—