A Good Day for Chardonnay (Sunshine Vicram #2) by Darynda Jones

He stopped and licked his lips, his expression similar to when Sun ate Lemonheads. “What is on your face?”

“Oh, yeah, that’s a mask. You don’t want to lick that.”

Her mouth covered his again.

He was everything a girl could want. Insanely handsome. Amazing body. Fantastic personality. A girl would be crazy not to desire him, which had her questioning her sanity when she broke off the kiss again.

But she pulled back at the same time he did. They looked at each other, the hopelessness of the situation sinking in.

Then a thought hit her. “Maybe we need to be naked.”

“Of course!” He knocked a palm against his head. “That’s exactly what we need.”

They kissed all the way to her bedroom, ripping off clothes as they went, bumping into this table and that dresser. She may have heard a crash or two, but she couldn’t be certain. He broke off the kiss to lift his shirt over his head in that way men do and, admittedly, her knees weakened just a little. His pecs were the stuff of legend.

Before Sun knew it, her skin was brushing across his and he felt good. She had to admit it, and yet …

They stopped again, naked in each other’s arms, their breaths coming in short, agitated gulps.

The look in his eyes, although resigned, was filled with admiration. “You are so beautiful, Sunny.”

She ran her hands over his biceps. “So are you, handsome.” She gestured toward the bed. “How about we take a break.”

She crawled into bed as Quincy went to refill their glasses of prune-flavored wine. A part of her adored him even more now. And she didn’t doubt that another part of her did love him in that way. They’d just been friends for so long.

When he came back to the bedroom, he was wearing his underwear. Charcoal-gray boxer briefs. He handed her a glass, then slid his legs under the covers with her and leaned back against the headboard.

“Now we know,” he said, almost sadly.

“Now we know.” She ran her fingers along the rim of her glass. “Who are you trying to forget?”

“What?” he asked, coming out of a trance he’d been in.

“Who are you pining after?”

He shook his head. “It doesn’t matter.”

“Quincy.” She put a hand on his jaw and turned him toward her. “Of course it does. Is it Zee?”

There had been an instant attraction between the two, but as far as Sun knew, neither had acted upon it.

“No, Sunbeam. She’s all kinds of gorgeous, but …”

“But you gave your heart to someone else.”

“You might say that.”

“When?”

He lifted a shoulder. “You’ve been gone a long time.”

“Wait, it’s not really my mother is it?”

He laughed. “No, though I have to admit, if not for your father, I would’ve proposed to that woman years ago.”

“Can I ask you something?”

“Always.”

“When did you get a bacon tattoo?”

He glanced down. On the left side of his impressive abs sat two slices of bacon. “Told you. You’ve been gone a long time.”

“You got a bacon tattoo and didn’t tell me?”

“’Parently.”

“It’s like I don’t even know you anymore.”

“I’m like a wild stallion, Sunburn.”

She tried not to snort. She failed. After taking one more sip, she put her glass on the nightstand, and scooted down beneath the covers.

He did the same, turning to face her. “It’s really too bad.”

“What is?”

“That you’re missing out. I could’ve made the heavens open up and the angels sing.”

“You’re that good, huh?”

“I would’ve made you question everything you know about the S-word.”

“Syphilis?”

“You’d never be the same again.”

A languorous sigh escaped him as the Sandman lured her closer and closer to oblivion. It had been a long two days. Then again, who was she kidding? It had been a long four months, and she didn’t know what she would’ve done without Quincy by her side. “I am in love with you, you know.”

He ran the pad of his thumb over her bottom lip. “I’m in love with you, too, Sunburn. In so many ways.” He leaned forward and kissed her again, his mouth warm and pliant against hers.

When he leaned back, she grinned at him. “Kissing you is like kissing my brother.”

One sexy corner of his mouth lifted playfully. “You don’t have a brother.”

“Which makes it even weirder.”

“Yeah, well you drooled in the car while you were sleeping.”

“Shit,” she said even though she already knew. “Was that the deal-breaker?”

He laughed softly, his eyes drifting shut. “Honey, if my standards were that high, I would never date at all.”

“Who is she?” she asked him one last time before letting the darkness overtake her. She thought she heard a name whispered on his breath but couldn’t be certain.

She dreamed of rain. It pelted the metal around them, but they were safe inside. The space was cramped, but she didn’t care. That just meant he had to be that much closer to her.