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Left standing speechless with his mouth open and boggling eyes, he watched my man turn back toward me. Ollie noticed me watching the entire byplay and winked at me. My disguise must’ve worked because the man who made a living by ripping off kids and families had no recognition in his face when I looped an arm around Ollie’s waist and we walked off together.

“Thank you for being here. I did not want to deal with that man alone again.”

My spine stiffened, and I growled out, “Was he hitting on you?”

The light giggle warmed me, and I relaxed as he shook his head.

“No, I think he wanted to intimidate me because he thought I’d be a pushover. To me, he treated the kids as bothersome and talked down to the student representatives tasked with the setup. For a minute there, I thought Linus was going to punch him. After I sent the triplets off to man the dunk tank, I got back at him by letting the kids choose a toy, even if they didn’t win. I restocked the prizes six times over the afternoon, so he’ll flip shit when he checks underneath the table to find empty boxes where he stored the rest of the prizes.”

Laughing at the way Ollie’s pride shone through, I wondered aloud. “I never thought of Linus as a fighter.”

“He’s laid back until you ruffle his feathers, and then he’s a fierce protector. The man stuck his chest out and tried to intimidate me when he was giving me instructions on working the booth. He even slowed his speech, and that was when Linusgrew irritated with the condescending lecture, especially when the man reached for my arm, and he snapped.”

We’d walked away from the booth and found ourselves on the outskirts of the fair, still thriving. I spotted an oak and led Ollie around the other side, grateful for the privacy.

“I missed you, too, you know,” I said.

A gorgeous blush stained his cheeks, and I lifted my hand and ran my thumb over the heated skin, inhaling the warmth of the man along with the hint of citrus.

“Several times since it happened, I thought I imagined it all. I’d all but convinced myself you hadn’t asked me to be your boyfriend. But the way you’re looking at me now, while it still feels like a dream, it’s also real,” Ollie whispered. “Are you freaking out?”

At first, his question confused me. But when he glanced up at me, I lost my voice for a second and let out a grunt.

My hands smoothed up and down his arms. “I know I’m a horrible prospect for a boyfriend, and my past actions are screaming I’m not into commitment?—”

Ollie shook his head once, hard, and then relaxed, softening his expression as he looked at me with a kind of wonder I couldn’t understand.

“No, beautiful, it wasn’t an accusation. I’m wondering because it’s been several weeks since we’ve been in the same room, all the while still getting to know each other. Talking on the phone or over video doesn’t always feel the same once you’re back in the same zip code and face-to-face. That’s what made me wonder out loud.And, I’ll emphasize this over and over, you need to stop beating yourself up over past decisions that were right for you,” Ollie said.

I stopped fighting the urge to kiss the man I’ve only put my lips on twice my entire life, which seemed a shame, bordering on criminal, and groaned out, “Can I kiss you?”

His breath rushed out, and my fingers tingled. He beamed at me and said, “Please.”

With neither grace nor coordination, my hands reached up to cup his face. I tilted my head and devoured his mouth as though I were a drowning man and he was essential to my survival.

Somewhere in the fervent need, my hat disappeared as Ollie lifted my sunglasses on top of my head, but nothing other than a natural disaster would have prevented me from feasting on the man’s delicious mouth. When his lips moved away from my own, I chased his touch with little care for how desperate I seemed.

The next second, my face burrowed against the front of Ollie’s chest as his hands protected my head. I was about to open my mouth and ask what had changed when he shushed me. I relaxed into his hold, trusting him, as I wove fantasies in my mind about tasting every inch of his naked, scorched skin as he moaned below me, begging for more.

“Where did you park?”

“In the second parking lot on the other side of the school. Why?”

His silence lasted all of about thirty seconds before he whispered, “I could have sworn I spotted flashing from a camera, but when I opened my eyes, no one was around. I think we should leave.”

Without waiting for my answer, Ollie pulled out his phone and texted something. When the device beeped, he let out a relieved breath, bent down and picked up my cap and sunglasses, waving as though I should put them on, before we started walking us toward the open gate so we could cut through the stands and behind the school where I parked. We jumped into the SUV and he locked the doors behind us. He glanced around and found a dark tint on all the windows.

“People can’t see in, right?”

“No, well, not unless they’re pressed against the glass. What are you worried about? I get photographed all the time,” I said.

My statement made Ollie pause. “Oh.”

That one word held weight, and I knew he was beating himself up for our hasty retreat.

“Don’t worry about it. I arrived in a disguise, and you haven’t experienced what a pain the paps are when you don’t want to be photographed, so it’s understandable you’d want to protect me. Who did you text?” I asked.

“I texted Landon to see if they had a ride home. He told me not to worry, but now that my kiss-addled brain is clear, should I be worried?