Page 186 of The Bluffing Game

She frowns. “What?”

“Maybe, just maybe, I don’t want you to have to lie to yourself or to me.”

“Excuse me?”

“Let me ask you one question.”

“What’s the question?”

“I’m only going to ask it if you promise to be honest.”

“I’m always honest.”

“Okay, so here’s my question then.”

“Yes?”

“If I were to lean forward and give you a kiss right now, what would your reaction be?”

I wait for her to deny how she feels. I wait for her to tell me she’d slap me across the face, that she’d leave, that she’d want nothing to do with me.

“Oh, that’s a very easy answer,” she says, grinning at me.

“Oh, yeah? And what’s the answer?” My heart pounds, and I wait for her to lie. I wait for her to tell me that never in a million years would she ever want to kiss me.

“Well, if we were in that exact scenario, this is what I’d do.”

My heart stops as she leans up on her tiptoes, grabs my shoulders, and presses her lips against mine. There’s a challenge in her face as she steps back and licks her lips.

“So, there you have it. There’s your kiss, Mr. Leone.”

“I guess we still have to see what you’d do if I attempted to kiss you,” I tease her, shocked I can speak. That was the last thing I’d expected her to do, and yet it makes me like her even more. Because one thing I know about Sage is that, even though she’s fighting whatever there is between us, she still acknowledges that it exists. She wants me just as badly as I want her, and yet neither one of us really wants to move forward; maybe because neither one of us is in a position to, but a part of me wants to change that.

Part of me wants to throw caution to the wind and see where everything goes.

“Daddy!” Toby comes running up. “Hold my teddy bear, please. Cheeseburger doesn’t like the swings,” he says as he hands it to me.

I take it from him and nod. “You having fun, Toby?”

“Yeah, it’s so much fun.” He grins, leans over, and grabs Sage’s hand. “I’m glad you came to play so you can talk to Daddy while I’m having fun with my friends.” He beams like he just got a milkshake. “You smell nice.”

“Thank you,” she says and ruffles the top of his head. “You’re a cute kid, Toby.”

“Thank you.” He claps his hands, then runs off.

She looks over at me and offers me a small smile. “You’re a good dad,” she says, as if the realization suddenly hit her. “You’re a tease and a grump and quite annoying at times, but you’re a good dad.”

“Thank you. I don’t know if I should be offended that there was ever a possibility that I wasn’t, but thank you.”

“I guess now that I’m looking for my real dad, I just wonder if he’s a good dad or if he would’ve been a good dad. I just appreciate these things. I appreciate you. I’ve told you that before.”

“You have,” I say. “And just how much do you appreciate me?”

“What does that mean, Dalton?”

“You know …” I lick my lips. “Maybe another kiss?”

“I’m not giving you another kiss.”