Josh cleared his throat, taking up her other hand and raising both as he entwined their fingers, pressing palm against palm. “Molly, Molly, Molly.” He really did not want to let her go. “Tonight certainly ranks up there as one of the fastest nights of my life. It flew by. I don’t feel like I’ve had enough time with you. So, in case I haven’t made myself perfectly clear, I’d like to see you again.”

“Sounds like you’re declaring the evening over.”

“I think you know I’d like nothing better than to string it out, but seeing as your father is waitin’ on you to come home—”

“My father stopped waiting on me to come home a long time ago. Probably before he should have, poor man.”
There was his opening. And he was a smart man. Smart enough to know that when the woman whose hair you wanted to get all tangled up in gives you an opening, you walk through it—without hesitation.

So he stepped in and closed the distance between them, wrapping his hands in her hair. His face directly over hers, his focus solely on her lips. He didn’t know where the words came from, they just came out, quiet and rough.

“Then here’s how it’s going to work,” he told her. “I’ll hold on to your keys and your car stays here. When we get to my place, I’m in charge. Rumor has it you may be pretty quick at shedding your clothes, but tonight your clothes stay on until I take them off. You and I are taking it slow. I’ll get you to your parents before first light and make sure your car is in their driveway by the time you want to head back to Raleigh.”

“One question.”

“Yeah—no. No questions.” He leaned in and kissed her lips, but like she’d done to him earlier, it was just a quick peck. Their first real kiss was yet to come.