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KELSEY

Confused, baffled, perplexed, bewildered, and puzzled.

Those would be the adjectives to describe everything I’m feeling right now.

It’s like a switch has been flipped. Deke with his normal gruffness about this not being in a relationship sure is acting like it.

The array of food he brought from the Pink Pony as well as what I asked for was unreal.

There’s so much leftover food I won’t be cooking dinner tomorrow, and I can probably invite Emily over to help polish it off, too.

“I can’t believe you got key lime pie.” Deke brings the fork up to my mouth, giving me a bite of the tangy yet sweet, the perfection combination in dessert.

“It was this or their ice cream, but I figured it’d melt on the way here.” He takes a bite for himself. “I’m not sure it’s the best ever. Florida key lime pie is out of this world, especially the further south you go.”

“Well, it’s not like Florida doesn’t hold the secrets to everything lime, so I’m not surprised in the least. No more.

I’m full.” I push away from the table. My usual two beer allowance that I’ll let myself have on a weekday was allocated to one because of how right the food was, and I switched to water.

“Want to go for a walk?” Deke asks. I’m such an idiot. I should be shutting this down. This is not a relationship , I tell myself like it’s a mantra.

“Sure, let me just take care of all of this.” I stand up, picking up what I can.

“I’ll help.” Deke takes the majority of the empty drinks and containers, while I take the food I’m saving to put in the fridge.

“Thank you again for dinner,” I tell him.

With my place being on the small side, it doesn’t take us long to make it to the kitchen.

I open the fridge door, bend over because I don’t have one of those fancy side-by-side or the style where the fridge is on top.

Mine is on the bottom. I’m an ‘if it’s not broke, don’t fix it’ kind of gal, liking my money where I can see it—in my bank account.

So, when I stand back up and turn around, Deke is right there, completely catching me off guard.

“Anytime, sunshine.” One minute, I’m looking into Deke’s almost hazel-colored eyes, and the next my eyes are closed and his lips are on mine.

This kiss isn’t like the one he landed on me when I was in my room.

This one is full of heat, sweet with a touch of roughness, and when our tongues touch, I sink into his warmth, one hand sliding into my hair at the nape of my neck, the other on my lower back, pressing me closer into him when I didn’t think it was humanly possible.

I guess I was wrong, though, because I can feel him, all of him.

Deke’s cock is hard, poking into my stomach, and I so badly want to rip off our clothes for a repeat performance of yesterday.

Too bad that isn’t in the plans because our kiss is over, even though I can see and feel the heat simmering above the surface between both of us.

“Ready for that walk?” Yep, exactly what I figured, except I’m worried if this walk will include talking, which sucks because when Deke opens his mouth and words spew out, it’s usually bad.

“Sure.” I’m mentally preparing myself for the inevitable, but I swear to God if he says last night was a mistake, I’m going to kick him where the sun doesn’t shine.

It takes us no time at all to walk through my house.

I leave the windows and doors open. Deke mumbles something about it not being smart.

Too bad that’s not his problem, and I choose to remain quiet.

Then we’re traipsing, literally, because while the sand is softer due to those afternoon showers we get, it does nothing to the consistency that will scorch your feet during the day.

Thankfully, the sun is slowly setting, spilling orange, pink, and purple hues across the water.

“Kelsey,” he says right when I start to speak, “Deke.” We laugh together.

“You go first,” I offer, holding my breath. Maybe this is why Emily doesn’t get involved. As much as you want the man, sometimes the man doesn’t want you enough.

“I’d like to talk to you. I know I’ve been, well, a not so nice guy, and I’d like you to understand the reason behind that.

” Well, I could be the girl who’s open ears, open heart, and open minded.

That’s not the case, though, because there’s a war going on inside me, which just so happens to say, abort, retreat, shots fired .

“Ummm, can we save that for another day and just kind of enjoy what we have here? I know it’s probably important, but today was a great day, and no offense, I’d really rather not end it on bad terms or horrible words.

” Deke stops. We were walking towards the dunes, not very far, and I figure after me shutting him down, he’ll probably get pissed, walk back, and leave me out here.

“Fuck, I really screwed this up. I’m seeing you need more than words.

I was kind of prepared for that. Should have known you’d be more about seeing action, so that’s what I’m going to give you.

” Deke’s hand reaches for mine, not turning us around to walk back to my place so he can leave.

Nope, he shocks the ever-loving shit out of me.

I stay quiet, as does he, and we continue our walk, stopping to pick up seashells along the way, me more so than him, unless Deke comes across a cool one that he thinks his nephew, Jace, will like.

That’s how we spend the rest of the evening—walking and taking in the night.

When he leaves for the night, the kiss I receive is a scorcher, and I know I’ll be using my toy to take the edge off once I slide into bed.