Read Online Every Little Kiss by Kendra Leigh Castle - Free Book Online

Flustered, she tucked a stray lock of hair behind one ear, and with a series of short, jerky motions, accepted the gift. Seth worried a little that she might drop it, but she pulled it together once both hands clutched the box. At that point she simply stared down at it as though it were a foreign object.
    Seth grinned. He couldn’t help it. This, not the cool, competent businesswoman, was the woman he’d come to see. He was quickly discovering that Emma was completely, awkwardly charming when he knocked her off balance. That was something he seemed to be good at, so why not? Hadn’t he moved to Harvest Cove to remember how to enjoy the simple things? This was pretty simple, and he was enjoying the hell out of it.
    “You can open it,” he prodded gently. “The box isn’t the present.”
    “Right. Of course,” Emma said, her cheeks turning deep pink. She breathed out a nervous laugh as she flipped the lid open, immediately rewarding Seth with a smile that was pure delight. In that instant, he was as genuinely happy as he’d been in ages. It was a feeling, both surprising and wonderfully simple, that he didn’t have time to wonder over. She looked up to meet his gaze, eyes crinkled with amusement.
    “Cupcakes?”
    He lifted one shoulder in a shrug, a little flustered himself—not that he’d admit it. “Yeah, well, I wasn’t surewhat you liked, so I picked two. I’m not much of a judge. I’ll eat anything.”
    Emma nodded as she examined the offerings. “Well, that’s not a bad way to be. You’ve got good taste, too, because believe it or not, one of these is my favorite.” She picked up the one sitting in a green paper cup, covered in shaved coconut and topped with a tiny slice of sugared key lime. “Key lime coconut. Yum.” She was looking at it with too much anticipation to be faking it—and so far, she hadn’t struck him as much of a liar. This was well worth the long minutes he’d spent agonizing over cupcake choices.
    “What about the other one?” Seth asked, moving closer. “The one with the raspberries? I thought it looked good.”
    “It is. Larkin makes the best black-bottom cupcakes. They’re little cheesecake-and-chocolate fat bombs.” Her eyes flicked up to regard him curiously. “What made you pick these two?”
    “Honestly? I didn’t know things had gotten so much more complicated than chocolate or vanilla until I walked in that place. I just went with the prettiest ones.”
    “That’s a risky selection method.”
    “Seems to be working fine for me.”
    “Oh.” Her blush, Seth noted, was as pretty as she was.
    They stood only inches apart, and he had to incline his head to talk to her. She was the perfect height, just tall enough to tuck her head beneath his chin if he slid his arms around her. The strength of the compulsion to do just that had him flexing his fingers nervously. He thought she was beautiful, and she was certainly fun to poke at, but he wasn’t looking for anything beyond just that—light and fun. It shouldn’t be a problem, considering he was fairly certain it would take Emma months, ifnot years, to get to where she’d even be interested in one of his arms around her, much less two.
    Still, the attraction was strong enough to be distracting. She smelled good, too, like she had the other night beneath her “eau de spilled beer.” He knew he’d carry her scent with him when he left, along with the image of her the way she was right now, surprised and pleased about something as simple as a cupcake.
    “What are you doing tonight?” The question slipped out before he could stop it, and he knew right away it had been the wrong thing to ask. Her smile vanished, replaced by the cool wariness that seemed to be her default. How the hell had she gotten so good at it? he wondered.
    “I’m busy.”
    Deeply ingrained stubbornness wouldn’t let him drop it there. “Is this the kind of busy where you’re actually doing something, or the kind of busy that lasts