Page 71 of Sunkissed Colorado

“Zandra, you kissed me. You practically crawled on top of me, forced me back on the couch, and had your way with me.”

I glanced to the side, mortified at the idea of someone walking by and overhearing this. Which anyone could at any moment. “Fine. I kissed you, okay?”

He leaned closer, placing both hands against the brick on either side of me. “And you liked it.”

“Good lord. You’re incorrigible.”

“Nothing else has to happen between us. Unless you want it. But I just need to hear you admit you liked kissing me.”

“What is wrong with you?”

“Just need to hear you say it.Callum, I liked…”

“We are not doing this.” I slipped under his arm, escaping the narrow space between the buildings.

And then I ran for Hearthstone. Like the coward that I was.

Work was normal. The cooks moved around the kitchen, Russ did brewing things. Customers ate. Or so I assumed. It was impossible for me to concentrate.

Instead, I paced around in Grandpa’s office.

This wasn’t me. I didn’t flip out this way, especially not about a guy. When Ian had first asked me to dinner after our Business Analytics class, I’d actually drafted a pro-and-con list before accepting.

For most of my life, I’d been steady and responsible. With a sassy attitude, sure. Did I get testy at times with people who disrespected me? Yes. Like any strong, opinionated woman, I’d been called difficult. I owned it.

But nobody,no one, had ever turned me inside out and upside down like Callum O’Neal.

I managed to get some work done. By late afternoon, it was time to head home. Callum had been behind the bar all day, so thankfully I’d hardly seen him at all.

Opening the office door, I peeked out. Chef Alice gave me an odd look as she wandered by. “Are you okay, Zandra?”

“Yep. I’m peachy.” Closing up the office behind me, I walked toward the back door. I would slip out and walk home to Rosie’s.

“Z,” an all-too-familiar voice said behind me.

My eyes closed as I sighed. “Callum.”

“Can I talk to you for a sec?”

“I was just about to head out.”

“It won’t take long.” His fingertips touched the small of my back, guiding me toward the storage room near the back of the building. The one with the sticky lock.

We went inside. I spun to face him. And just like before, he shut the door behind us.

“This again?” I asked.

“I didn’t close the door very hard. Even if it stuck, the key’s right there.” He pointed to it hanging on the wall. “You can leave if you really want to. I’ll let you go. But I think it’s wiser if we finish this conversation. Otherwise, we’ll have this unresolved tension hanging over our heads. Making it impossible to concentrate.”

“There’s no tension.”

“No?” He stepped closer.

My body felt like a live wire. “None whatsoever.”

He brought his lips within inches of my ear. “At some point, you’re going to have to admit you like me.”

“I do. As afriend.” My voice shook on the word.