While she’d started the fire with her kiss, he stoked it to a roaring blaze. His free hand landed on her hip and nudged her closer. He angled his head to kiss her deeply, his tongue licking the seam of her lips until she opened for him. Zoe felt amazing under his hands. He traced the ample curve of her hip, then settled his hand on her lower back to keep her close as his mouth ravaged hers.
He could kiss Zoe forever. The kiss was both a revelation and a reunion. Even though this was their first kiss, Foster had the feeling of coming home. Warmth settled in his chest, and the places where Zoe touched him felt like a brand. Zoe was making him her own. And Foster couldn’t care less.
She tasted of mead with a hint of something undefinable that was simply Zoe. Her little moans of pleasure went straight to his core. They were alone in the meadery and there would be no interruptions if they were to follow this pleasure until they were both sated.
Zoe broke away with a gasp. “The time!” she said.
Foster looked at his watch and it was indeed time to return. Francesca only had so long to cover. He pressed his forehead to Zoe’s. “That was amazing.”
“I know. I wish we could stay here and finish what we started.”
If only they had the time. Foster wasn’t a man prone to longing, but right now he’d sacrifice just about anything to have more time alone with Zoe.
“What are you doing this evening?” he asked.
“Putting my feet up and having a drink, most likely,” Zoe responded.
“How do you feel about ordering takeout and spending the evening together? I can rub your feet,” he offered.
Zoe groaned. “That sounds amazing. It’s a date.”
Foster smiled against Zoe’s lips, then kissed her softly. “It’s a date.”
He waited for the inevitable panic to come. He just kissed Zoe, against his sister’s warning and his own better judgment. Not only did he kiss her, but he arranged a date in which he fully intended to include more than kissing.
He’d arranged a date with a woman who thinks he’s her soul mate.
Yet the panic didn’t come. Instead, he felt peace. A flutter of anticipation in his gut that he hadn’t felt in a very long time. Excitement. When was the last time Foster was genuinely excited about something? He couldn’t remember. The feeling was like the night before a trip to the theme park when he was a kid.
The next few hours were going to be torture. He’d have to endure Zoe’s presence without being able to touch her. And now that he had, it was all he could think about.
* * *
As he expected, the afternoon was nearly unbearable. He watched Zoe work and resisted the urge to walk over and kiss her senseless. What had happened to him? Foster prided himself on restraint, on calculating decisions. Zoe brought out all his primal instincts.
When the last customer had been ushered out for the evening, there were still several hours of packing up ahead of them. Zoe had arranged for a mover to relocate her inventory to her store so they could at least leave once the pickup occurred.
They walked outside into the evening. Dusk had fallen and stars were twinkling in the dark sky. His favorite part of the property was the beautiful view of the stars. The lack of light pollution around them made for amazing views.
Zoe stopped to look, as well. He put his arm around her and pulled her close to his side. Someone might see and wonder, but he didn’t care. It had been too many hours since he’d last held her.
“So pretty,” she said as she rested her head on his shoulder.
“It is,” Foster replied. He hadn’t stopped to appreciate his family’s land for longer than he could remember. Once upon a time, he’d spent hours laying on his back in the field, watching stars. The luxury of youth.
As if she could read his mind, Zoe said, “I vowed to myself never to stop appreciating the little things. It’s so easy to get pulled off course with the demands of life.”
Foster kissed the top of her head. A simple gesture, but it hit him like a truck. He’d never stopped to enjoy the little things with another person in his entire life. It was nicer than he expected. And a little addicting.
“I don’t stop to appreciate my life enough,” Foster reflected. “The pace of New York City isn’t conducive to moments of reflection.” In fact, his life had been a rush to the finish line for as long as he could remember.
It was getting harder to remember what exactly he was working towards. He’d checked off the boxes that signaled adulthood. A college degree, successful career, and owning a condo in a desirable neighborhood. What next?
The loss of his parents had been a wake-up call. Life was short. He needed to enjoy it while he could. Suddenly, pursuing a prestigious position didn’t seem to be on the top of his priority list. Family came first.
Awareness hit like a bolt of lightning. The restless feeling he’d had for the past several months suddenly made sense. He was missing something. Sure, he was up for a promotion, but that just brought him more of the same. Foster craved connections.
Foster jerked as if someone had struck him. “Are you okay?” Zoe asked.
“I am, actually. I just figured something out that I’ve been puzzling over for a while.”
Zoe reached up to kiss him on the cheek. “I’m glad. Shall we get dinner and go back to my place?”
Foster took her hand and swung their joined hands between them. “Yes, I can’t wait.”