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“Why is this bothering you so much?”
“It’s not.”
“Franky, stop pacing and look at me.”
He stopped in his tracks, a foot away from her, and stared into her eyes.
Her stomach fluttered at the intense expression she saw there. “Would it make you feel better if I told you I won’t go out with him?”
“I knew it, you like him.”
“Of course, I like him. He’s a nice person.”
“Pfft!”
“What is wrong with you? Why are you acting this way?”
“Because that guy wants to get in your pants. That’s all he wants.”
Her eyes widened. “Franky Middlebury! Be careful what you say next!”
“It’s true.”
Skylar couldn’t believe what he was saying, and then it struck her. All of his questions and comments last night. His overreaction after seeing the two of them dancing. Was she right? Was he jealous? She wasn’t sure she could trust herself after misreading him for so many years. She needed to be sure.
“You know what,” she said, “as my best friend, you deserve complete honesty, so I’m going to tell you the truth.”
Franky’s eyes were fixed on hers as if he was hanging on her every word.
“I do like Luca. He’s sweet and easy to talk to, and I’m not going to lie and say I don’t find him attractive. I always have. In fact, while we were dancing, he told me that he’s thought of me over the years and wondered if we should’ve stayed in touch. He wondered if something would’ve happened between us if—”
She didn’t get the rest of her sentence out before Franky’s hands were cupping her cheeks, and his lips were suddenly on hers. She couldn’t believe this was happening. She could barely breathe as he kissed her, firm and deep, not soft and passionate like she’d always imagined it would be.
This was not how she expected their first kiss to happen, sparked by a jealous argument. But still, Franky was kissing her. And no matter what she had imagined, this was what she had always wanted. Wasn’t it?
FOURTEEN
Warm, pillowy soft lips pressed against Franky’s in the damp wine cellar. His mind was whirling. This hadn’t exactly been his plan when he’d pulled Skylar away from the party, but he couldn’t stand there, watching her pressed up against Luca for another dance. A possessive urge had taken hold of him and would not let go. And Grandma Mabel’s inquisition about his love life and obvious comments about how wonderful Skylar was hadn’t helped.
And now, here they were, kissing in the wine cellar.
Skylar’s hands slid around his waist as if she was trying to get as close to him as possible, and that was all he wanted. To be close to her. He stepped forward, moving her back against the nearest barrel.
This wasn’t like him, to be spurred on by jealousy, but finding out they’d kissed once then seeing them dancing had caused his chest to tighten and his heart to race. And before he knew it, he was dragging her out of her own birthday party.
Franky deepened the kiss as he held Skylar’s body against his. The way she kissed him back was better than anything he’d imagined. They had a perfect give and take going, and he never wanted it to end. One of his hands traveled down her side and came to rest on her perfectly curved hip, while the other skimmed across the silky skin of her back.
She let out a soft sigh, and fear suddenly jolted through him.
What am I doing?
He pulled his lips away, and she rested her head on his shoulder and pressed a soft kiss to his neck. The sensations her mouth caused made him dizzy. The intelligent half of his brain told him to stop this immediately, but the idiot half made him hesitate and bask in the feelings washing over him.
“Franky,” Skylar whispered.
Something about hearing her voice in that intimate tone snapped him back to reality, and he went still as she continued pressing those warm lips just below his ear.
He swallowed hard as he shifted, grabbing hold of her arms so he could put some distance between them.