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She shot him a sharp look, her irritation returning, fueling her sense of self-worth. “Then what are we even talking about?” She moved to duck beneath his arm, but he stopped her.

“I wish I could explain it. Really I do. I wish I knew what was going on, because I haven’t ever felt this way about a woman.” He shook his head, his eyes getting a far-off look in them. “The whole drive home, I’ve come to realize one thing.”

“What’s that?”

His eyes finally locked with hers. “It doesn’t matter.”

“Of course it does,” she blurted. “You can’t stand there and tell me that thinking about me brings you pain, or that you want to avoid me, that I’m not your type and that none of it matters! Do you even hear yourself? You sound crazy. Of course it matters,” she repeated. “All of that matters whether you like it or not. People don’t simply get together because something in their gut tells them to. There has to be attraction and—”

Without any warning, his lips dropped over hers, gentle and explorative. The lightest brush of warmth against her cool skin sent a shiver down her spine. His hand reached around the back of her neck, caressing her skin.

Agatha’s lashes fluttered closed, and her heart thundered in time with the hooves of the wild horses she’d seen on occasion. Slowly, her arms slipped around Zeke and she rose on her toes.

Closer, she needed to be enveloped by him—taking every part of his soul into her own. The connection between them was more than merely electric; it was like a wildfire that had gone rogue.

Dangerous—that’s what this was.

And it was deliciously consuming her to her very core.

15

Zeke

Holding Agatha this way stirred up some feelings that had long since been buried. Zeke lost himself with her in his arms. She sparked something inside him that remained just out of reach—unable to be scrutinized just yet.

He could go on kissing her like this until the sun came up, but that wasn’t written in his stars. Agatha’s hands pressed gently against his chest, pushing him back a step. He blinked, his vision blurry as she came into focus.

Normally, he might feel a degree of shame for what he’d done. He’d assumed that she wanted the kiss as much as he did. Hadn’t she mentioned earlier that they hadn’t even kissed yet? But if any man would have done the same to his daughters, he would have drilled them into the ground with his bare hands.

Only, this felt different. It was like he’d finally connected with what he needed. It wasn’t just a relationship. It was Agatha.

She wasn’t meeting his gaze as she continued to lean up against the door. Her nose and cheeks had turned a soft pink color like a gentle sunrise. He itched to reach out and caress her, tell her everything he was feeling in this very moment.

But something held him back.

It was probably due to the way she’d put that space between them. She wasn’t ready. How was it that they couldn’t get their timing right? “Agatha?” he whispered.

She shifted, though she wouldn’t meet his eyes.

“I need you to talk to me.” His heart thundered. There was no way she didn’t hear it beating against his chest like a raging storm.

“Why did you do that?” she said.

“Why did I do what?”

When she set her focus on him, his blood heated. The intensity behind her gaze had him reeling. “Why did you kiss me like that?”

“You’re not serious,” he murmured, reaching for her on instinct.

Agatha waved off his hand and shook her head. “You just came from a date with another woman. What am I supposed to believe?”

“Is that what this is about?” Zeke let out a dry chuckle. “My daughter set me up with Charlotte. Tonight was the first time I’d even met the woman.”

Agatha didn’t look convinced.

He ran a hand down his face and forced himself to remain cool and collected. It wouldn’t help his case if he lost his temper. “Charlotte is a lovely lady, but even she said that I wasn’t supposed to be on that date with her.” Their conversation at her doorstep had been one of the most awkward ones he’d experienced in his lifetime. She refused to hug him, and there were no kisses exchanged. “All she permitted was a handshake when I dropped her off.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Sounds like you expected more.”