Page 34 of The Ruse of Romancing

“I know you were cold, but do you mind if we still grab ice cream? The place I’m thinking of has a drive-thru. Then we can find a place to park with a view of the ocean or something. That way you can stay warm and get a sweet treat.”

It was like he’d read my mind, and I felt like I was falling maybe just a little bit in love with the man next to me.

“Sounds perfect.”

We got our ice cream, deciding to eat it in the car at a nearby park instead of trying to find open parking at the beach.

“You know, I’ve been here since Sunday and I still haven’t seen a sunset on the beach,” I said as I took a bite of huckleberry ice cream, savoring the sweet, tangy flavor.

“Now that’s just a tragedy! I’d say we should fix that immediately but...” He trailed off and I wondered if he’d finally mention my ruined dress. He’d been so kind not mentioning it before now, but it could only be avoided for so long.

“But walking on the beach in a ripped dress is probably asking for trouble,” I finished for him. “Thank you for handling it so well. Leave it to me to split my dress on a first date.”

“Believe it or not, this is not the worst wardrobe malfunction I’ve seen on a date.

My brother, Grey, actually split his pants once when we were on a double date in high school.

He was hiking and snagged a pocket on a tree branch.

We were nowhere near the parking lot, so he’d had to hike back the entire way with his underwear showing.

” His voice was full of humor as he got lost in the memory, his face growing soft.

“Seriously? You’re not just making that up to make me feel better?” I asked, laughing softly at the picture he painted.

“Trust me, it actually happened! And the best part was Grey just rolled with it. Nothing ever seems to faze my brother.” His voice held an affectionate note as he talked about his brother.

“Does your brother live near you in Idaho?” Allen hadn’t shared much about his personal life or family, and I was curious to learn more.

“No, he’s all the way in Utah with my mom. I’m the rebel who lives far away.” He took a deep breath, seeming to consider his words before speaking. “After my dad passed away, it was hard to be around them. I needed space to grieve and figure out who I was.”

“I’m so sorry for your loss,” I said, patting his knee since both of his hands were occupied with his ice cream and spoon.

Allen shrugged, a gesture meant to appear casual, but that seemed to carry the weight of the world.

“It happened a long time ago. My dad was the biggest supporter of my art. His passing was part of why I decided to become a graphic designer, make him proud and prove to the world that I could do it, that I could succeed.”

“That’s a lot of pressure to put on yourself,” I said softly as I watched him use his spoon to draw patterns in his ice cream.

“What’s life without a little pressure? I’m sure you understand that better than most.” He pointed his spoon at me to underscore his point.

“True, though that amount of pressure’s got to be hard and lonely without a solid support system nearby.”

“I make it work,” he said softly. “And just because they aren’t close, doesn’t mean Grey and my mom don’t cheer me on.”

“Tell me about them.”

Time passed quickly as Allen shared stories about his family and the trouble he used to get in with his brother.

Before I knew it, my ice cream was gone and I was shifting in my seat trying to get comfortable, loath to see the evening end but desperate to get out of my ruined Doris Day dress and into something less restrictive.

“Looks like I’d better get you home, but don’t think you’re off the hook. I want to hear all about your family too,” Allen said as he pulled onto the road.

“Well, the first thing you need to know about my family is that I have an amazing sister and a fabulous group of female cousins who are my favorite people in the world.”

The rest of the drive passed quickly, and sooner than I would have liked, we were pulling into the driveway.

Allen apparently was also incapable of parking off to one side of the driveway, but I didn’t mind.

Let Mason get stuck behind us. It would only be fair for him to be inconvenienced by one of my guests for once.

“I had a good time tonight,” Allen said as I turned to face him over the console.

“Even with the unfortunate ending to dinner?” I asked as I turned to face him, feeling the fabric around the torn seam of my dress rub against my skin.

“But I would argue it was a very fortunate ending,” he said, reaching over to brush his fingers along my cheek.

“Oh?” I bit my lip, my heart racing as I waited for his response.

His gaze dipped down to my lips before he made eye contact with me.

“It meant I got you all to myself while we ate ice cream in the car. I feel like I’m really getting to know you, which means I have no qualms asking you a very important question.

” He paused, leaning toward me over the console, and my heart pounded in anticipation of his next words as I leaned in too.

“Which is?”

“May I kiss you?” He arched an eyebrow, waiting.

“Yes, you most certainly may,” I said in a breathy voice I didn’t recognize.

Allen didn’t need to be told twice. His hand slipped behind my head, guiding my lips to his in a sweet, gentle kiss.

My eyes closed and my world exploded at the contact as I was instantly lost in him, wondering how I’d waited this long to find a man who could make my heart race and dance all at the same time.

All too soon, Allen pulled back, resting his forehead against mine, our breaths mingling as we both processed the kiss.

“I thought talking to you was my favorite part of the night, but that kiss just supplanted it.” His voice was deep and gravelly, full of desire.

A simple “uh huh” was all I could manage as I tried to reorient myself to a world where I’d kissed Allen. I opened my eyes to find him studying me, a gentle smile teasing his lips.

“I think I want to do that again,” he said.

“Uh huh,” I said again, this time adding a nod for emphasis before leaning in closer. Apparently, all it took to turn me from a best-selling novelist into a bumbling teenager was one very good kiss with a man I found highly attractive.

“But I’m not going to,” he said, leaning back.

My heart plummeted, and I was not proud of the sound of protest that escaped my lips.

He gave a small chuckle, cupping my cheek with his hand before I could pull away and move back to my side of the car.

“Trust me, I want to keep kissing you, but I can’t risk messing this up. I want more than dinner and a good time. I want to see you again.”

“I want that too,” I acknowledged, leaning into his touch. “Though we can keep kissing and see each other again. Just saying.”

“Can I walk you to your door?” He asked, choosing to ignore my statement and clear request for another kiss.

“Well, you kind of have to if you want your jacket back,” I said, pushing my door open and letting the cool air spill into the car.

Allen followed me to my doorstep. I quickly unlocked the door and turned back to say goodbye. He grabbed the sides of the jacket and pulled me toward him.

“I like the look of you in my jacket. I don’t think I want it back,” he said, leaning down, his lips inches from mine.

“Well, good news then,” I said, pausing with my lips a breath away from his, “because I’m keeping it.”

Then, before he could close the space between us, I pushed away, stepping inside and closing the door behind me with a click.

From the other side of the door, I could hear Allen’s rich, deep chuckle and I paused a moment, leaning against the door, reliving one of the most magical nights of my life, ripped dress and all.