Page 70 of Forbidden Kisses

Afterward, I turned to Riley, who was looking down at the popcorn. I couldn't keep myself in check a moment longer. I brought a hand to the side of her face, caressing her jaw and making her glance up.

"Riley?" I asked. "Why are you avoiding looking at me?"

"I'm not sure how to do this. I figured we’d talk and sort things out before I came to work tomorrow, or… I don't know…"

I nodded and then stopped touching her. "I don't have a plan," I admitted, which was insane. I was the man with a plan. It was my thing. It was what I was good at. And yet right now, all I knew was that I needed to touch her more than I’d needed anything in my life. And I also wanted to give Jeremy the best childhood possible and not confuse him. I couldn’t see how those two things could happen at the same time.

She touched my wrist and then my forearm, moving slowly to my elbow.

"Are you fondling me?" I asked, stunned.

"I don't think it counts as fondling if it's not the ass or, you know, a sexy part."

"It so fucking does," I said, then stepped even closer, bringing my mouth to her ear. "Because it turns me on."

"What? Touching your arm?"

"No, you. Whatever you do. Eating, breathing, smiling. Especially that fucking smile. It slays me."

“Duncan…”

I brought my lips to the corner of her mouth, only intending to breathe in the scent of her skin. It was delicious. My damn pillow was starting to smell like that, and I was seriously considering not washing my bedsheets again so they would keep her scent.

I moved my mouth farther to the right. Her breath was shaky. Her lips were soft and warm and so damn inviting, and I captured them without a second thought. I hadn't realized how much I needed to kiss her until I'd tangled our tongues. I reached one hand around the back of her head, running my fingers through her hair. This kiss was exactly what I needed.

A loud noise startled us. She’d dropped the second bucket of popcorn too.

"Oh my God," she said, looking down, then started to laugh. "No way!"

“You know I'll just buy you another one.”

"No, I think this is a sign that I shouldn't have any more. I mean, one dropped bucket is one thing, but two? It's basically saying, ‘Stop eating, Riley. You've been stuffing your face the whole weekend.’"

"What are you talking about? You are damn gorgeous."

"That's because I usually don't stuff my face."

I moved closer. "You’re beautiful. Don't fight me on that, or I will prove to you exactly how sexy you are to me."

She narrowed her eyes. "We’re in public."

"So?"

"And Jeremy’s in the bathroom."

That did the trick. I looked at the mess and crouched to the ground at the same time, putting the spilled popcorn back in the bucket.

"You dropped it again?" Jeremy said, sprinting toward us from the restroom.

What the hell had I been thinking, kissing her like that in public when Jeremy was just a few feet away? I couldn't do this. It was unfair, both to my son and to her. He needed to grow up in a stable home. And Riley deserved so fucking much more than a stolen kiss at the zoo while he was in the restroom, or a night in my bed when I could get away with it. She deserved everything, and I didn't know if I could give that to her.

I tossed the popcorn in the trash can and then faced Riley. She bit her lip, avoiding my gaze. Could she tell from my expression what I was thinking? Or was she thinking along the same lines?

"Let's head toward the exit," I suggested. "They're going to close soon."

Jeremy pouted but nodded. We walked toward the exit with him between us. I glanced at Riley from time to time, but she seemed determined to avoid my gaze. I needed to have a serious conversation with her, but it couldn't be right now. I wanted her undivided attention, and I needed us to be alone.

"I can drop you off at home," I said once we got out.