One Perfect Kiss

by Jaci Burton

  She rolled her eyes. “I don’t think your ego needs the stroke.”

  There were parts of him that definitely needed stroking by Josie, but he’d leave it alone for now. He moved to the island and leaned his hip against hers. “Oh, come on. I’m sure the list is endless. My good looks, my charm, my sense of humor, not to mention my expert kissing skills.”

  “Now, those I don’t have any experience with, so I wouldn’t put those on the list just yet.”

  He turned to face her and pulled her against him. Her body was hot, and he wanted to touch her skin without the impediment of clothes between them. His fingers roamed her back, and that heat licked along his fingertips, making him itch to explore her further.

  “I’m happy to help enhance your kissing experience.”

  She tilted her head back. “I have experience with kissing, Zach.”

  “I imagine you do. We should put our experiences together and see how that goes. If you’re interested.”

  “I’m interested, and you should most definitely kiss me.”

  He moved in, but then Wilson butted in between them and barked.

  That heated moment dissipated in an instant.

  Josie laughed and took a step back. Zach frowned and stared down at Wilson, who was dancing between them.

  “I think he might need to pee,” she said.

  “Dude, we were just outside. You peed on everything.”

  Wilson continued to wag his tail, so Zach went to the back door and opened it, then went outside with the dog, who dashed over to a nearby tree and, sure enough, peed on it.

  “Okay, Wilson. I’m noting you have the smallest bladder in town.”

  “Hey, at least he let you know he had to go out,” Josie said, coming up beside him and sliding her hands into the pockets of her jeans. “That’s more than most dogs would do on day one at a new place. You should praise him and give him a treat.”

  “For using a bush as a urinal?”

  “Yes. That’s how you encourage him to do the same thing the next time.”

  He brushed his thumb over her bottom lip. “The next time I want to kiss you?”

  She laughed. “These lips aren’t going anywhere. Except inside. It’s getting a little chilly out here.”

  “Okay. Go pick out a bottle of wine. I’ll hang out here with the dog for a while and see if there’s anything else he wants to do.”

  “See? Now you’re getting the hang of being a dog daddy.”

  He grimaced. “Dog daddy? Please don’t ever call me that again.”

  She grinned, then disappeared. Zach wandered the yard with Wilson, who, despite sniffing every blade of grass, every bush and tree trunk, did nothing else remarkable, so they finally went back inside. Josie had some stuff piled up on the kitchen island.

  “Hey, I rummaged while you and Wilson were outside. Hope you don’t mind.”

  “I don’t.”

  “Good. I figured you’d want to watch the game—” She lifted her head up. “Some game or whatever. If you’re not particular about what game, I have suggestions.”

  He walked into the kitchen. “You do, huh?”

  “I do. Anyway, I found cheese and fruit and awesome crackers in your pantry. You are well stocked. I’m impressed.”

  “I like to eat, and it pisses me off when there’s no food in the house.”

  “Good food, apparently.”

  Wilson trotted over to the water bowl and took several long drinks. Zach pulled his attention back to Josie, who had apparently found the bottle opener, because she was pulling the cork out of a bottle.

  “Something wrong with good food?” he asked.

  “Not in my book. You want wine?”

  “Sure.”

  She’d made herself at home in his kitchen. He didn’t know how to feel about that. His kitchen, hell his entire house, was his domain.

  He liked people just fine, enjoyed entertaining them and hanging out with them, but usually never on his own turf. There were a lot of reasons for his choosing to keep his home base to himself, and Josie’s making herself comfortable here was a … thing.

  But he’d invited her over, so any way he felt about it, he was going to have to keep it to himself.

  And as she laid the tray on the coffee table, kicked off her shoes, and pulled her feet up on his sofa, Wilson having jumped up and curled alongside her, he had to admit to feeling a kick of something he’d never felt before. He couldn’t pinpoint exactly what that feeling was, only that watching Josie petting Wilson made him ache for something he was sure he’d never had before.

  “You going to stand there and stare at us, or are you going to come over here and sit down?”

  He blinked at Josie’s words, but he didn’t move. For some reason he felt frozen, unable to take that step forward.

  Come on, idiot, you can do this. It’s not like she asked you to get married or move in or anything. It’s just sitting on the damn couch together.

  Whatever this thing was, he needed to get over it. Forcing his feet to move, he made his way to the couch and sat between Josie and the dog. Wilson got up, turned around in a circle three times, inched over a bit toward him, and went to sleep, his body nudged against Zach’s right thigh.

  Zach picked up the remote and flipped through channels until he found a football game.

  “Oh, my favorite team,” Josie said.

  Zach arched a brow. “Yeah? Which team?”

  “San Francisco, of course. Mick Riley was the quarterback until two seasons ago. Now his son, Nathan, has taken over as quarterback. He put up amazing stats last year, and the team finished thirteen and three, and they made the play-offs, only to fall in the second round. This year they’re unbeaten through four games. I think they’re going all the way. They’ve shored up some holes they had in their secondary and added some key players on the offensive line. They’re tough.”

  Zach leaned back and stared at her. “I’m impressed.”

  Josie popped a grape into her mouth, then took a sip of wine and smiled at Zach. “You thought I was just pretty, but a woman. And like most guys, you think we’re out shopping when football’s on or watching something else on TV. Women enjoy sports, too, Zach.”

  And like a lot of women, he was often misjudged, too. “Yes, you are pretty. And you are definitely a woman. And I don’t judge the sexes and their knowledge and enjoyment of sports, or lack thereof. I never assume anything about anyone, especially women. I don’t judge you, and I’d appreciate you not judging me.”

  Now it was her turn to give him the once-over. “Sorry, you’re right. I assumed. Oh, please forgive me, Zach.”

  She batted her lashes at him in a way he found charming and utterly insincere.

  “I think you’re giving me shit.”

  “Good to know you’re so smart.”

  “And you’re a smart-ass.”

  “See, now we’re getting to know each other.” She laughed and handed him a cracker with some cheese. He popped it into his mouth and washed it down with some wine.

  “You make good snacks, Josie.”

  “Thanks. And your taste in wine is excellent, Zach.”

  “Thanks.”

  She swirled the liquid around in her glass. “This one is an Oklahoma brand I’d never heard of.”

  “Yeah, there are some great wineries in Oklahoma. We should hit a couple of them some weekend. There’s an amazing winery in the central part of the state that grows some incredible grapes. They even do weddings.”

  “Really?”

  “Yup. I took a tour there over the summer. Great family-run business. I met all three of the sisters who were involved in the operation.”

  Josie arched a brow. “Three sisters, huh?”

  “Yeah. Real pretty sisters, too.”

  “You trying to make me jealous, Zach Powers?”

  “I wasn’t, but are you?”

  “Maybe.” She leaned forward. “But you know what really, really interests me right now?”

&
nbsp; She was close enough now for him to breathe her in. She smelled clean and a little bit citrusy. He wanted to take a swipe of her neck with his tongue.

  “What interests you?”

  She lifted her long lashes and gazed at him with those amazing eyes of hers.

  “This football game.”

  He laughed. “Are you sure you’re not a guy?”

  She leaned back. “Positive.”

  At halftime, he grilled chicken tenderloins outside while Josie fixed them a salad and made some incredible vinaigrette to go over it. He chopped up the chicken, and Josie added it to the salad.

  “This is really good,” he said as they ate. “I like the fennel in here.”

  “Thanks. I like it, too. As well as your fully stocked fridge.”

  “Hey, you’re welcome to come over here and cook anytime.”

  “I might hold you to that, because I like to eat.”

  She ate with enthusiasm, something he enjoyed watching.

  “What’s your favorite food?” he asked.

  She paused, thinking, then said, “Spaghetti and meatballs.”

  He nodded. “Good call.”

  “Yours?”

  “Easy. A nice, juicy steak.”

  She nodded. “I like a good steak as well.”

  “Come over sometime and I’ll grill one for you.”

  She shook her head and smiled, then mumbled, “Like a dream come true” as she went back to eating.

  “What does that mean?”

  “Oh. This place. This food.” She looked around, pointing to his kitchen with her fork. “If you’d seen where I grew up …”

  He cocked his head to the side. “Tell me about it.”

  She shook her head. “Some other time, maybe.”

  “That bad?”

  “Let’s just say it wasn’t like this.”

  He looked around at the fancy appliances and spacious kitchen and shrugged. “Josie, this is just stuff. It’s meaningless without …”

  He trailed off. No point in going down that road.

  “Without what?” she asked.

  “Nothing.”

  “You started the conversation, Zach. Finish it.”

  “Warmth, A sense of belonging. Of family.”

  She sighed. “Okay, I understand that. But you had everything, didn’t you?”

  “You’d like to think that. But let’s just say I didn’t have the warmest family. You don’t have to come from a poor family to have a shit upbringing. My father’s disapproval over my life choices still echoes in my head all these years later.”

  She laid her hand on his arm, sympathy written all over her face. “I’m sorry. I know what that’s like. I mean, not the same situation, but … same, you know? Pain is pain, Zach, no matter the circumstances.”

  “Yeah.”

  They looked at each other, and Zach could tell Josie was as uncomfortable about the topic as he was. So they both turned and focused on the TV. He knew he was glad to get off the subject of family. Josie probably was, too.

  They watched the rest of the game and argued over several calls. Not only did Josie know football, but she knew penalties as well. They’d gone about fifty-fifty on those as far as who was right, but she stood her ground and refused to back down, even when he told her she was full of it.

  She’d even gloated when San Francisco won the game, and she made no apologies for it.

  Josie was quite possibly the perfect woman. She was beautiful, smart, she loved sports and animals, and she didn’t mind arguing with him over anything, both at work and outside of school. Plus, she’d asked about his family. Not that he’d wanted to talk about them. But he wanted to get to know her better, so the family discussion was going to come up again at some point. And if he wanted to get her talk about hers, he’d have to talk about his.

  Yeah, he liked her. Of course, he’d already known that before. But now he liked her even more.

  “We should put the leash on Wilson and take him for a walk,” Josie said. “Get him used to his surroundings and to walking with you.”

  “Sure.”

  At the pet store earlier, Josie had told him since Wilson was a small dog and only had three legs that a harness would work best for walking him. She’d helped Zach pick one out that would fit him, and now she showed him how to put it on him.

  Zach had to give it to the dog. For his first day with new people and in a strange place, he was awfully patient. He sat while Zach fumbled with the harness a few times until he got it right.

  “You sure are easygoing, buddy,” Zach said as he kneeled in front of Wilson and affixed the leash to the top of the harness. “Thanks for being so patient with me.”

  After he stood, Josie wrapped her arm in his. “I think the two of you are going to get along great.”

  Zach looked down at Wilson, who he could swear was smiling up at him.

  “I hope so.”

  They opened the door and headed outside.

  Chapter 9

  * * *

  THE NIGHT TEMPERATURES were on the cool side, so Josie grabbed her sweater from her car before they set out on their walk.

  For a three-legged dog, Wilson had some speed. He tugged on the harness like he had someplace to go. Josie showed Zach how to rein him in and make him walk at their speed.

  It took some doing and about a mile for Wilson to realize he wasn’t in charge, but he finally expended enough energy that he began to walk at Josie and Zach’s pace.

  She had to give Zach credit. For his first day as an animal owner, he was pretty zen about the whole thing.

  “So, you’ve really never had a pet before?”

  “No.”

  “You’re doing great, Zach. Wilson’s really taken to you. And animals know when people are jerks.”

  “They do, huh?”

  “Yes.”

  “That must be why Beelzebub likes me so much.”

  She laughed. “He’s a unique case. And Tumbles doesn’t hate you.”

  “Sure he doesn’t.”

  “Bring Wilson over, and he’ll get used to both of you.”

  “Does he like dogs?”

  She shrugged as they turned the corner to walk around the block. “I have no idea. I guess if you bring Wilson over, we’ll find out.”

  “You’d torment your cat like that?”

  Josie looked down at Wilson, who seemed as chill as any dog she’d ever known. “I think Tumbles can handle himself just fine.”

  “You’re right. I should be worried for my dog.”

  “Wilson will be fine. I promise Tumbles will be on his best behavior.”

  “I’ll withhold comment until I actually see that happen.”

  The conversation lulled, giving her time to survey the neighborhood. What neighborhood there was, anyway. There was a lot of real estate in between lots, and Zach’s house was separated from … well, from everyone. Not that there was a lot of everyone to speak of. Josie could count the number of houses they’d passed on one hand. She supposed it was great to have so much land, to have the ability to plant a garden, build a shed, do whatever he wanted to do.

  “You must like your privacy,” she said as they turned the corner and made their way back to his house.

  “Yeah. That’s the reason I chose this neighborhood. It’s quiet, there aren’t a lot of people on the block, and the house sits back at the end of the road all by itself.”

  Zach opened the front door, then bent and released Wilson from his leash. The dog dashed inside and headed straight for the kitchen, where Josie heard him lapping up drinks of water. She was happy he was already learning where his stuff was.

  She followed Zach inside. “You’re reclusive, then.”

  He frowned. “No, I’m not. I just like my privacy and don’t want to have neighbors being able to see into my kitchen from their kitchen.”

  “No chance of that happening with you being last house at the end of the road.”

  They stopped in the kitchen, and Za
ch refilled their wineglasses. “You’re being snarky.”

  “You caught that, huh?” She took a sip of wine and set the glass down on the island.

  Zach moved into her. “So you think I’m some pampered recluse?”

  “I didn’t say that. But I will tell you this place is huge and remote, and you could do with a little warmth and some companionship.”

  He put his arm around her and pulled her to him. “I’m not cold.”

  He was right about that. The blast of heat she felt from being close to him took away all the chill she’d felt on their walk. She put her hands on his chest, drawing in some of that warmth. “No, you aren’t.”

  “Plus, I got a dog today. He’ll warm things up around here, and he’s a companion.”

  “Is that the only reason you decided to adopt Wilson?”

  Wilson had made himself comfortable on the sofa and was now passed out on his back, his legs up in the air, which meant he was comfortable, and that made Josie happy.

  “I’m pretty sure Wilson adopted me,” Zach said.

  Josie smiled. “This is true.”

  “Oh, and also? You’re here.”

  She lifted her gaze to his, losing herself in the warmth of his eyes. “Which means what, exactly?”

  “You warm up my house.”

  His words made her feel … unsettled, but also welcome. Something she hadn’t often felt in her lifetime. “But I don’t live here. I’m not going to be the one to give your house the warmth or companionship it needs.”

  He moved into her, his body aligning with hers in a way that made her aware of every inch of him.

  Every delicious, hard inch.

  “I don’t know about that, Josie. You’re here now. And things seem to be heating up just fine between us. Isn’t that enough for the moment?”

  The moment. She liked living in the moment. She wasn’t much for looking into the future.

  But tonight? It was definitely enough.

  “Yes. It’s enough.”

  He lowered his mouth to hers, and her breath caught.

  Oh yes, in the moment was exactly where she wanted to be.

  With Zach’s lips on hers.

  Chapter 10

  * * *

  ZACH TOOK IN the way Josie hesitated, the way she held her breath when he kissed her. He paused, waiting to see if she’d back away.