Chapter 25

25

STERLING

I walked Daphne home again, for the third time in my life. With her by my side, her hand hooked around my elbow and just the two of us on the sidewalk, I realized that I loved doing this. I just couldn't wrap my head around why.

After the activity of the day, it was a quiet, clear night. The rain had passed and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. An almost full moon hung overhead and the stars shone bright above us. An orange glow lit the sidewalk from the streetlights, but there was no traffic, and the lights were off in most of the buildings and houses that we passed.

It really felt like it was just the two of us left in town, even though I knew we could come across more people at any time. I felt it when she glanced at me as we walked. "What did you want to apologize for?"

"Last night," I said. "I didn't express myself very clearly and I'm sorry I upset you. It wasn't my intention."

"What was?"

"My intention?" I asked.

She nodded. "You do realize that you said you wanted to apologize yesterday too, right? This is the second night in a row that you've wanted to say that you're sorry, but I still don't actually understand what for."

"Well, last night was for kissing you," I said. "I've since thought about the points you made and you were right. I made it sound like I thought you or the town wanted to hold me back, but that's not what I think, which is what I'm apologizing for tonight. I was a dick."

"You got that right," she murmured, then tightened her grip on my arm. "It's okay, though. I've had some time to think about it too, and I guess I understand why you might've thought that. For the record, it's not true. I would never hold anyone back, least of all you."

As we approached their house, a sense déjà vu smacked into me. Daphne smiled. "Good night. Thank you for walking me home. Again."

"Good night, Daph. You're welcome."

She inclined her head, then turned and walked toward the back gate. When she reached it, she turned to look at me over her shoulder. Our eyes connected and held, just as they had that night.

I'd wanted to kiss her after that party, the first time I'd walked her home. Back then, I hadn't known why I wanted it, but I knew why now and I wanted it more than ever. "Daphne, wait."

She frowned, her head cocking, but I was already closing the distance. In two long strides, I caught her face in my hands and lowered my lips to hers, holding her cheeks in my palms and kissing her like I'd wanted to do ten years ago.

"I've been thinking about doing that for a decade," I murmured against her lips when I broke the kiss. "I'm sorry it took me so long."

She smiled, leaning into my touch. "Do you want to come inside?"

"The guesthouse?"

"Yep. It's my house now."

I nodded, sliding one of my hands into hers, and followed her through the garden gate instead of remaining outside this time. "Eric, Jake, and I used to come back here to do dumb shit when we were teenagers. I think that's part of what threw me off my game last night. You've made it feel so warm and homey, but it was an empty shell the last time I was in there."

She chuckled. "I know. When I was renovating this place to turn it into my home, I found your old stash of beer and a few empty bottles. You should know that I told my parents all about it."

I laughed, surprised, but not so much. "Of course, you did. What did they say?"

She shrugged, unlocked the door, and flicked on the lights as we walked in. This time, I took a good look around at what she'd done with the old guesthouse. Last night, I'd been too thrown by everything to notice much more than that she'd renovated and made it all cute and pretty, but tonight, I was interested in seeing what she'd actually done.

The LaSalle's guesthouse had been back here when we'd been growing up, but the original owners of the home had never finished the thing. When they'd bought the property, their intention had been to turn it into an art room, a gym, and perhaps a space to entertain.

At least, I remembered our moms talking about something like that when we'd been kids, but they'd never gotten around to it. Since it'd been a shell—but had walls—it'd been the perfect place for us to drink and be completely out of sight as teenagers.

Daphne had finished the place, though. It was now a comfortable, one-bedroom home with a small but modern kitchen that was open to her living space. The weird corner had been turned into a reading nook and she'd tiled it all, but a mishmash of brightly colored area rugs covered the tiles.

She'd put in a fireplace in her living room, with a TV against the wall, turquoise couches, yellow and purple cushions and throws, and bookshelves overflowing with everything from biographies to the classics. In the corner, an old school writing desk was filled with art supplies, and her kitchen counters were covered with baking supplies.

Looking at it now brought a smile to my lips. "I could never have imagined turning it into this from what it was."

She shrugged. "I see potential where other people see something ugly."

"Clearly." I glanced at her, my gaze searching hers for any sign of what she'd thought of me kissing her again. "At risk of offending you all over again, what are you still doing in Allisburg, Daphne? I don't mean it in a bad way. I'm just curious."

"I never wanted to leave," she said simply, sliding her little purse off her shoulder and dropping it on the couch. "My family is here. My friends. I went to college, got my degree, and came right back."

"Education, right?" I asked, sensing some nervous tension between us now.

My hands were in my pockets, but I couldn't keep my eyes off her. I wanted to kiss her again, but she seemed to be doing everything she could to stay busy—and away from me.

Fluttering around while we talked, she picked up random things and put them down, practically wringing her hands. "Yes, that's right. Education. I taught at the elementary school for a few years. It was wonderful."

When she came back around, fluttering closer to me, I stepped up to her, taking her hands in my own and holding them still. "It's okay, Daph. Do you want to tell me what's making you so nervous right now?"

Vulnerability shone from her bright blue eyes as she looked up at me, exhaling a deep breath. "Isn't it obvious?"

"To you, maybe."

"It's you, Sterling," she murmured. "You're making me nervous."

"Why?" I asked, sliding one hand up her arm and across her throat, my palm against her skin when I brought it to a rest on her cheek. "Do you not want this?"

She scoffed down a laugh, her gaze dropping to my lips. "Please. I've wanted this at least as long as you. Probably longer."

When she brought her eyes back to mine, the tension snapped and I crashed my lips into hers again, unable to stop myself even if I'd tried, which I didn't. I'd never felt this way when I kissed anyone else. That had to mean something.

The spark hadn't been in my imagination and it hadn't just been adrenaline. It'd been there when I'd kissed her at the garden gate and it was there now, so much more intense than it had been before.

Because this time, it was just the two of us.

Alone.

In her house.

With her bed much too close by.

I broke away from her as soon as the thought hit. "Do you want me to leave?"

"I want you to stay. Would you?" I smiled and pulled her closer to me. There was no way I'd have been able to force myself out of her arms, so I just nodded and kissed her again, groaning when her soft lips parted for my tongue and she opened herself up to me. I was in trouble here, and I had no idea how I was going to get out of it.