to his attractive rear. He had to be in incredible shape. A good person wouldn’t be watching his rear end either.
She wanted to be a good person.
“It’s a hot one,” he said as they exited to the sidewalk.
“It was you, wasn’t it?” she blurted out.
“I don’t know,” he said easily. “What are we talking about?”
“The donation.”
It was clear from his expression that he immediately understood. “Ahhh.”
“I’m taking that as a yes.”
“Yes. It was me. Can I hold your hand?”
“What?” Her brain stumbled on the question.
“Your hand. I’d like to hold your hand while we walk.”
“Why are you saying that?”
“Because it’s true.”
“We’re talking about you letting Lawrence think I made a big donation to the beautification committee.”
“We can’t do that while I’m holding you hand?”
“Deacon.”
“What?” Instead of waiting for an answer, he took her hand as they walked beneath the arching oak trees.
She knew she should pull away, but she didn’t seem to have it in her. “Lawrence just called me,” she persisted.
“Good.” They took a few more steps. “Right?”
It was definitely good holding hands. In fact, it was great holding hands. His was strong. It felt manly. It was a manly hand, and she liked that.
“Callie?”
“Huh?”
“What did Lawrence say?”
“Oh.” She put her focus back on track. “He said my permit will be approved on Wednesday.”
Deacon squeezed her hand, lifting it to his lips to give it a kiss. “That’s fantastic!”
She let his action sink in for a moment.
He’d kissed her.
It was on the hand, sure. But he’d kissed her, and she’d liked it. Her lips tingled as she thought about the kiss. They were jealous of her hand.
She ordered herself to get a grip. She got a grip, tamping down her wayward reaction.
“You bribed him,” she said, making sure she sounded disapproving.
“That wasn’t a bribe. It was inspiration.”
“It was money.”
“A bribe would be if you called him up and said ‘I’ll give you two-thousand dollars if you approve my permit.’”
“I didn’t do that.” Her brained clicked through the implications. “Did I break the law?”
He chuckled. “You’re too much.” Then he lifted her hand to kiss it again.
He held it still against his lips. He stopped walking, and she stopped too.
He turned to gaze into her eyes. She felt a wash of helpless desire warm her body and flush her skin.
He wrapped his free hand around her upper arm, urging her gently backward into a narrow, cobblestone alley.
“Can I kiss you?” he whispered. “I want to kiss you.”
She didn’t even think to refuse. “Yes.”
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