Page 74 of The Backup Groom

Time stood still as we gazed into each other’s eyes. No words spoken, but I couldn’t help wondering if he was trying to read my mind, like I was trying to read his.

“What’s going on?” he asked, tilting his head to the side.

“I’m here to test your theory,” I answered.

His words played over and over in my head.

The kiss is everything.

Scotty scrunched his eyebrows together. “What—?”

I stepped closer, reached up, and cupped the back of his neck, then pulled his head lower until our lips met.

I think I saw stars.

And it was heaven.

No, better than heaven.

It was also as Scotty had described.

I saw fireworks, my knees got weak, and I couldn’t get enough.

Just as I was going to pull him closer to deepen the kiss, Scotty did it for me, softly moaning. The tone of his emotions in that single moan made my heart skip several beats. In fact, he pulled me so tight against his body I was sure I was going to pass out from a lack of oxygen.

And I didn’t care.

That was how I wanted to die.

Unfortunately, it was too much for my mind and body to process.

I pulled away, out of breath, my mouth hanging open, a smile forming on my face.

Scotty smiled down at me, out of breath as well.

That was when I realized I needed more air and some time to think.

I was so moved by the kiss I didn’t trust myself to speak, so instead I turned to leave.

“Again?” he called out as I walked as fast as I could toward the door. “You’re killing me!”

I just couldn’t handle my emotions at the moment.

How the heck had I been so blind that I had not seen Scotty in front of me all these years? How could I not have noticed our smoking hot chemistry?

Was I really that obtuse?

Maybe it was denial.

Or possibly fear?

With so much on my mind, I tried to focus on not running into anybody as I headed next door to work. Huck the Schmuck was going to give me an earful for being so late, but I didn’t care.

There were more important things to think about.

Before I could face Scotty again, Stella and I definitely needed to talk. And once I had a game plan in place, there would be only one other thing on my immediate to-do list.

Propose to Scotty.