The Wedding Gift

CHAPTER TEN

She got him back with the current contents of her dessert spoon, and pretty soon, they were in a full-on food fight. Julie hadn't been in one of those since...ever, now that she thought about it.

It turned out they were lots of fun.

Or maybe it was just because of who she was having the food fight with.

She was still thinking that when Andrew kissed her. It was briefer than their first kiss, and more playful. Just a quick brush of lips, really, but it was enough to make Julie leap up off the couch, staring down at Andrew accusingly.

"What are you doing?"

"Kissing you," Andrew said unapologetically. "The way you were looking at me, I couldn't resist."

There was still a part of her that said he was completely wrong for her, and that he would only end up hurting her. Yet at the same time, there was another part of her that insisted she should dive back onto that couch and kiss Andrew until they were both covered in the dessert they'd just made.

That part of her reminded her just how glorious Andrew looked, even with a blob of cream decorating his features. Especiallythat way, in fact, because it gave her the opportunity to reach up and wipe it off. But when he carefully licked the mix off her fingers in a movement that made it clear exactly where things would end up going if she stayed, she knew she couldn't possibly control herself if they started kissing again. She would only end up wanting more than his kisses, more than just his body.

She'd want his heart, too.

In a matter of seconds Julie had her coat on and was heading for the door. Andrew didn't grab her arm, but he did touch it gently, turning her back toward him.

"Don't go."

"I have to," Julie insisted.

Andrew shook his head. "You don't have to. The question is do you want to?"

Yes.

No.

"What are you running away from?" Andrew asked softly.

"Being with you. Not being with you," Julie whispered, trying to put a little more distance between them. It was easier to think when he wasn't standing so close to her, but it was still not easy enough. "I don't know what I want."

"Can I tell you what I want, Julie?"

That brought a nervous laugh from her. "I would have thought that one was fairly obvious."

"I want you. And I don't just mean here, now, tonight, in my bed, if that's what's stopping you."

"I'm sure there are a few starlets who might say otherwise," Julie pointed out.

Was that what was stopping her? Andrew's reputation? Or was it just the fear of ending up like one of those other women, put aside after too brief a time when his attention flitted somewhere else?

Andrew seemed to sense her fear. "You aren't like them," he promised. "You aren't like them at all."

"I don't understand. What do you see in me?" If Andrew could have his pick of women, women who threw themselves at him, then why her? "Is it just the thrill of the chase?"

"There are thrills, and then there are roller-coaster rides," Andrew said.

She had to bite back a smile at his teasing tone. She shouldn't let him charm her.

"You really are different," he told her. "You just have to trust me on that."

Trust.

That was the problem. She wasn't sure she even trusted herself, let alone Andrew.

"I want to date you, Julie Delgado. I'm not going to pretend that I don't want to any longer. I'm not going to tiptoe around it, either. I like you. Really, really like you. And I think that you'd really like me, too, if you'd only let yourself."

Andrew stepped back. Julie hadn't realized that he'd been blocking the door until he moved.

"If you don't want me, just say it. Even if you don't want to take things further tonight, if things are moving too fast, say that. I've tried giving you space since we first kissed, but I can't do it anymore, Julie. I like you far too much for that, and I really want to see how far we could go together."

"I want that, too," Julie admitted, and as the words came out, she realized that she did want it. The only thing she didn't want was the pain that might come with it. "I just don't know if I should."

"You could go through life never taking risks," Andrew said, "but will that ever make you happy?"

He'd moved closer again, but he didn't touch her. If he had, that would have made her decision for her. She needed him so badly right then that if he'd only kiss her once more, Julie was sure she wouldn't say no.

But he didn't make things that easy, didn't take the choice from her. Instead he stood very still. Expectant. Gorgeous. But still.

Oh, why did he have to force her to be brave, tonight of all nights?

The sensible choice would be to turn around and walk away. This was Andrew Kyle, after all. He wasn't just the man who'd done so much to criticize her food, he was the brother of clients at The Rose Chalet. Taking things any further with him would almost certainly be a professional disaster for her. It would be the kind of risk Julie simply didn't take anymore.

But, oh, what if she did take that risk?

And what if being with Andrew was beyond her wildest dreams?

He'd asked her when had steering clear of risk ever made her happy. Well, right then, she couldn't think of a single time. Yes, Julie wanted Andrew-but more than that, she wanted to be happy.

She deserved this joy, didn't she? All she had to do was to let go, just once. To trust that things would work out okay.

Put like that, it was so simple. All she had to do was...

Julie pulled Andrew to her, pressing her lips to his. She kissed him with all of her pent-up passion until he pulled back an inch.

"Does this mean you want to date?"

By way of an answer, Julie kissed him again. Andrew responded just as passionately this time, taking charge of the kiss, drawing the moment out in the most sinfully sweet way.

If their first kiss the night before had been good, this one was spectacular. It ended only as Julie pushed Andrew back toward the couch and they fell on it together, their lips meeting once more.

"Damn it," Andrew swore as their dessert spilled to cover most of his shirt.

"Oh, I don't know," Julie said. "It's going to be a good excuse to get that shirt off. And if any gets on you...maybe I can lick it off?"

Andrew's expression turned tender and his hands reached up to cup Julie's face. "You're sure?"

"Well, it was pretty tasty before."

"I mean about this. About us. I was serious before. If you want to just date first-if you want to put the bedroom on the back burner-you only have to say."

"I know," Julie said, reaching up to peel Andrew's hands away from her face and kissing each one in the middle of his palm as she did so. "And what I want right now is to be happy. With you."

Andrew laughed and lifted Julie easily, cradling her in his arms while his lips moved over her eyelids, her cheekbones, her throat. He carried her toward his bedroom and as the door swung shut behind them, Julie looked up into those deep dark eyes of his and kissed him again.

And this time, she didn't stop.