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go faster than she wanted to go. Each move she made was perfectly matched with his own, such that they led each other, drew each other together and savored their shared heat.
    Something in the back of her mind was sending up an alarm, as though part of her knew this kiss wasn’t wise. But being rational was a distant planet. Kate wanted to let herself be carried away, loose the bonds of her control. Being so intimate with this complete stranger somehow seemed as natural and right as smiling.
    As their lips parted and his arms squeezed her waist in a kissless hug, he whispered to the side of her face, “Thank you, Kate. Thank you.”
    Thank me? For what? Was he thanking her for ignoring her standards? Her loyalty to her fiancé? Or, did he sense that he had a chance at a relationship with her? That this wasn’t a casual kiss or an opportunity taken, stolen from someone else’s life. This was something more.
    She heard the titters of Kenny and his friend, and Kate blushed about having been so oblivious. She wondered what they must think of her getting so carried away so quickly, and then realized with a start she didn’t care. As she peeked at their audience, Tyler didn’t move. He was still focused on her face.
    Reality began to sink in. As if he read her thoughts, he stepped back, still holding her hand, and addressed the gawking and awkward sounds, like noises from a video game, coming from behind him.
    Kate studied his mahogany brown hair, worn a little too long, curling behind his ears and over the top of his shirt, his tanned face in profile—a face which now seemed so familiar to her. He warmly addressed their audience, and she didn’t care what he said. She just wanted to listen to him say it.
    “Sorry, guys. I guess I got a little carried away with—” Tyler turned to address Kate and his face lit up with another warm smile, eliciting the same from her. “I was not able to stop myself.” His lashes fluttered as he dropped his gaze to examine her lips again.
    Kenny and his lady friend probably hadn’t noticed that Kate was the first one to make the move, initiate their first kiss, but Tyler took the fall for it. At that, her excitement over what could be was more important than what had been. Her future was eclipsing her past.
    Tyler’s fingers moved a ringlet of hair from next to her cheek and tucked it behind her ear, his thumb caressing her lower lip. She felt the exquisite knotting of her nipples and the ache in her core. She wanted his hands on her, anywhere.
    “So much for ‘we’re just giving her a ride to her sister’s,’ bro,” Kenny said with a smirk.
    “And that’s still the plan,” Tyler said as he drew her to his side.
    Now it was Kate’s turn to say it. “Thank you,” she whispered. He rewarded her with a squeeze, and she found herself leaning into him again.
    Kenny cleared his throat. “So, just tell Vonda here what you want, and she’ll make us some sandwiches, right sweetie?” He gave Vonda a quick peck on the cheek.
    Tyler led them over to the corner table after they’d placed their orders, and the three of them sat. Kate watched the eclectic variety of customers come and go. The crowd apparently purchased donuts all day long. Kenny and Tyler bantered back and forth, needling each other and catching up. Kate found herself wanting to hear more about the librarians Tyler had dated, but the conversation stayed strictly away from them.
    “I report back next Friday. We do a week of workup,” Tyler was saying. “Been preparing hard for this one for over four months.”
    “Where are you going?” she asked him.
    “We have a general idea, but it could be anywhere.” Tyler delivered it flat, but then his eyes wandered down the side of her face, over her shoulder and then back to her chest. She felt herself blush. Afterwards, their eyes did not meet.
    “Cool. So like Tunisia? Morocco?” Kenny wanted to know. He nodded a greeting to a couple of skateboarders with purple and