Page 28 of Big Girl Panties

His hands framed my face as he leaned down so that his lips were mere inches from mine. "This was how I pictured our first kiss."

The golden light caught in his dark eyes, and for a heartbeat, we just stood there, two people on the edge of something that felt bigger than both of us.

So I pushed up on my toes and kissed him, soft and sweet at first, like we had all the time in the world. His lips were warm against mine, moving with a patience that made my knees weak. When his hand slid around to cup the back of my neck, fingers tangling in my hair, I sighed into his mouth and let myself fall completely.

The kiss was everything a first kiss should be, tentative and bold, sweet and promising. When we finally broke apart, his thumb traced my bottom lip, and I felt drunk on more than champagne.

Chapter 11

Knight in Shining Gym Shorts

It was early. The sun hadn't risen yet, and the gym was empty. I had a full gym inside my house, but since I sponsored my brother Niko's gym, I came a few times a month just to make an appearance.

My visit this morning was different, though.

I'd finally put two and two together and realized Brooke's disaster of an ex-husband, Chris, was a regular here. If he stuck to his schedule like he stuck to his bad life choices, he'd walk through those doors any minute.

Perched on the weight bench like a gargoyle, I leaned forward, elbows on thighs, dragging my white towel down my face. I stared at the front door with the intensity of someone waiting for a pizza delivery during a Netflix binge.

I was determined to make sure that what had happened to Brooke's café never happened again. I had zero doubt Chris was behind it. The need to protect her, to make things right, consumed me in a way I hadn't felt in a decade.

The door opened, and I tensed like I was preparing for the world's most awkward confrontation. Each breath came slowly, like a boxer psyching himself up before entering the ring. I was preparing for war. Someone who would do that to a person they were supposed to love and protect is obviously unhinged, but I was betting on him being a scared little boy when it was a fair fight. When the man who walked through wasn't him, I deflated like a punctured balloon.

I sat in that spot for another thirty minutes until I gave up. I told Brooke I'd help her with restocking this morning, so if I waited any longer, I'd be late. Sucking in a deep breath, I pushed off the bench. I'd try again tomorrow, and if he didn't show up, I’d have to change my plan. Either way, we were going to have a little chat.

"Hey," my brother's familiar voice shouted from somewhere behind me. I twisted around, matching the smile on his face. Niko was a few inches shorter than me, but carried the same build. His hair was a little shorter, but his eyes were the same shade of brown. "What are you doing here?" We gravitated toward each other. His gaze flicked over the gym. "Where's Rocky?" Rocky was my personal trainer.

"He's on vacation."

"You want to work out together?" My gaze dropped to his jeans and then back to him. He threw his thumb over his shoulder. "I can change really quickly."

I shook my head. "I'm about to hit the showers. I'm meeting Brooke this morning to help with the café." I told him about her the day after I'd met her. I'd never done that before.

"So, is this serious?" He flicked me a skeptical look.

I hadn't had a serious girlfriend in around ten years, so I couldn't blame him. "I'd like it to be, but she was just recently burned pretty badly, and I don't think she's ready for anything serious."

"Well, it took you ten years to get over being burned," he teased.

I winced. Ten years of carefully constructed walls, casual dates, and zero commitments. Ten years of convincing myself I was better off alone. And here I was, ready to tear it all down for a woman I barely knew. The realization was both exhilarating and terrifying.

"That was just because I hadn't found someone who made me feel like she does."

"Does she really, or do you feel like you need to fix her, bro, because it's very different?" Niko, though younger, carried himself with the quiet confidence of an old soul.

I wasn't really in the mood to discuss my feelings, so I brushed him off. The truth was, after Kelsey, I never wanted to be in a serious relationship again. I'd built my life around that certainty. But something about Brooke had shaken my foundation. I couldn't explain it, even to myself, and that uncertainty was both thrilling and terrifying.

Was I really ready to risk my heart again?

Niko married his high school sweetheart, his first girlfriend, and he'd never experienced heartbreak, so he didn't understand.

"I'm gonna hit the showers."

"You should come for dinner tonight. We are grilling steaks. The girls miss you." He had two daughters that I absolutely adored.

I nodded. "Yeah," I smiled. "I'll try to stop by."

"Bring Brooke," he said. "I need to meet the girl who's melted my brother's frozen heart."