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and having her jumping behind lampposts every time their paths crossed in the future.
    “You mean because of the way you took advantage of me right there on the street?” he asked, fighting for a straight face when her chin pulled back in surprise. Not what she’d been expecting him to say—
good.
“Look, I wasn’t going to bring it up. But since you did, apology accepted.”
    And yeah, definitely the right call on that one, because now the color playing around in Brynn’s cheeks was the kind that didn’t make either of them feel guilty or bad. And that smile pushing hard at her lips—yeah, that was all his.
    “So
I
took advantage of
you
?”
    Tongue pushing against a back molar, he nodded. “And then threw me away like yesterday’s news. Gotta say, I felt cheap.” He’d felt fantastic. Better than he could remember in years. Right up until he found her gone. “Used.”
    “Dirty?” she offered, with a look that said she just hadn’t been able to resist.
    He leaned closer, so his lips nearly brushed her ear. Voice low, he answered, “
Very
dirty.”
    Those Irish eyes went wide and Brynn stared up at him, her breath unsteady, her body still so close.
    And then, because he was right there and he couldn’t resist, he caught the brim of her cap and gently pulled it off. Streams of loose curls tumbled around her face and shoulders in a haphazard spill that had his fingertips tingling as he remembered the way all that softness had felt between them the night before. The years before.
    That same feeling hit him again.
This is right.
    Another trembling breath and her eyes closed, her body swaying infinitesimally closer to his. He could give in to that urge building hot and hard within him, lean into the closing space between them and kiss her. God knew he wanted to—only some small rational part of him which miraculously hadn’t shut down with the rest of his brain function when he’d heard that too tempting shuddering breath knew it would be a mistake. And not just because they were standing in the middle of the Go Grocer—though as far as
game
went, he didn’t have to check the manual to know moves made in the refrigerated aisle scored negative points—but also because
nothing
had changed since the night before…and until it did, he wasn’t willing to risk what might well be his last shot with Brynn on it.
    So instead of sliding his fingers deep into the thick mass of her hair and taking the kiss that would lead to all the more-than-kissing every part of him was begging for, Ford wrapped a single lock around his finger and gave it a light tug.
    Brynn’s eyes popped open, a furrow digging its way between her brows when she realized he’d stepped back instead of closer.
    “Hey, load some actual food into your cart here. I’m going to grab a basket and pick up a few things myself.”
    “Oh, um, o-okay,” she stammered, looking adorably perplexed. And why wouldn’t she. Ford couldn’t imagine any guy in his right mind taking a pass on—well, shit, anything that Brynn Ahearne was offering. But that was exactly what he was going to do, because unless he wanted the same result he’d gotten last night, the next time he got Brynn anywhere near a bed…she was going to be the one dragging him to it.

Chapter 5
    Okay, no way did that just happen. No way had she gotten so completely caught up in Ford Meyers standing close enough she could feel the heat coming off him, towering over her in the way she used to love, smelling so good, and all but growling “
very
dirty” in her ear…that she’d actually posted up for a kiss
Ford wasn’t offering.
    Oh yes, that burning sensation rushing over her was shame encompassing every square inch of her pathetic physical being. These were the moments she wished she lived in Buffy’s Sunnydale and the ground would mercifully open up a Hellmouth to devour her whole. If only. But as it was, she was pushing her cart over the mockingly solid floor of Go Grocer, ostensibly