Risking It All by JM Stewart

Was she afraid he’d jump on her? The simple look said way too much and had a thick, palpable tension mounting in the air between them. Kissing her might have been a dream come true for him, but it appeared to have been a nightmare for her. He’d taken their relationship in a direction for which she obviously hadn’t been prepared.
    Therein lay his problem. He’d had a taste of her, of the passion his poor, misguided heart told him could be between them. Now he had a vivid image to go with the fantasy. Now he knew the delicate flavor of her mouth and the soft little shudder she made the first time his tongue had caressed hers. The very thought tormented him. One kiss would never be enough. A hundred would never be enough. He almost wanted to laugh. How ironic. He’d been trying to distance himself from her, and in one moment of total insanity, he’d accomplished his task. Too bad he hadn’t anticipated how long and wide the distance between them would be.
    “Why do I get the feeling I’m interrupting something?” Her brows raised, Becca darted a glance between them. A slow grin spread across her mouth.
    He obviously wasn’t the only one who noticed the tension between him and Ceci. The women in his family had been waiting for the two of them to get together for years. Oh, they didn’t think he knew, but Chase and Evan had passed on the gossip at a barbecue last summer. Apparently they had a wager going about who’d kiss who first.
    For a moment, he considered letting Becca think what she wanted. What happened between him and Ceci concerned no one else.
    “You’re not.” Ceci smiled again, this one forced and awkward, and darted a glance at him. “I came to ask Kyle a favor, but I was just leaving.”
    Seeing his opportunity to smooth things out, he took a step toward her. “Let me drive you.”
    “No, but thank you.” She hiked her chin up a notch, folding her arms across her stomach. “I could use the fresh air.”
    Tension flared once again between them, crackling in the air. Gone was the woman who felt so comfortable with him she climbed in his bed and draped herself over his chest. Her discomfort screamed at him from the stiff way she held herself, and his chest ached with the need to make their relationship right again.
    Becca cleared her throat. “So, you guys are coming to Evan and Malia’s tomorrow, right?”
    “What’s tomorrow?” Ceci furrowed her brow as she turned to Becca.
    He opened his mouth to answer but shut it again when he realized she’d directed her question at his sister.
    Allie jumped up off the floor and bounded at Ceci, her face beaming. “Uncle Evan and Aunt Lia are havin’ a luau.”
    Ceci stiffened and darted an unsure glance at him, something Allie immediately caught.
    “You have to come. You have to.” Allie latched onto the end of Ceci’s sweater and bounced, her eyes wide with excitement. “Say yes. Say yes.”
    Ceci shrugged and shook her head. “I’m not making any promises, sweetie. I have a lot to do tomorrow.”
    “Like what?” Becca chimed in. “Weed your perfect garden? You always have Sunday off.”
    “Well, no. A-actually, I have laundry to do.” Ceci’s cheeks turned a bright pink, and her mouth curled into an uncomfortable smile. “And a house to clean. I’m afraid I’ve been neglecting it lately. The flower shop’s been really busy. With spring right around the corner, everybody’s coming in for the new blooms.”
    When Ceci took a sudden interest in Allie’s baby doll, Becca turned her attention to him, a lone brow rising into her hairline. Her expression clearly said she didn’t buy a word of it. Moreover, he had a sinking feeling he knew why Ceci made excuses. She didn’t want to spend time with him, or maybe she didn’t trust him anymore.
    He gave an imperceptible shake of his head, silently begging his sister not to push it. When the corners of her mouth curled into an understanding smile, he swallowed a sigh of relief.
    “So,