He laughs, the sound mostly air, his accompanying smile taking whatever breath I have left. His hand finds my cheek, his eyes find my mouth. With his fingertip, he reaches out to brush my bottom lip and a ripple of warmth coasts over my skin. My eyes fall closed. “Ember.” He whispers my name in a low rumble before his mouth finally lands on mine. The mouth I’ve been anxious to kiss. And it was so worth the wait. His full upper lip envelops mine, soft, though commanding, and anything that came before this moment is lost to me. I’ve never been one to believe in fireworks, but this kiss… it does something to me. It overwhelms me, taking possession of my heart—or perhaps he had it all along.
His mouth glides over mine, once, twice, before coaxing my lips apart and slipping his tongue inside. Gentle, teasing licks make me shudder and I moan, pressing against him. Through the wet clothes that cling to our bodies, I can feel every ridge, every curve, every bulge. I latch onto his shirt, my fingers bunching and twisting the fabric to drag him closer as his tongue continues to dip in and out of my mouth. He tastes like mint and coffee, and Vance. I’m just getting used to the feel of him when he breaks the kiss, touching his forehead to mine. Water rushes all around us, but all I hear is the sound of our breaths, all I feel is the swarm of butterflies doing a somersault in my belly.
I’m not sure how much time passes because I couldn’t care less about time right now. Vance doesn’t seem to either, but I do notice the chill of his fingers against my skin. “Vance, you’re getting cold.”
“Am I?” He circles my nose with his. “I feel pretty warm, actually.”
“We should probably find a way to dry off.”
Even though all I want him to do is kiss me again.
He steps back, only enough to see my eyes. His finger skims my bare arm and another shudder moves through me. “I kind of like you wet,” he rasps, and my cheeks warm. “You are absolutely adorable when you blush. You know that, Mickey?” He kisses the tip of my nose. “Let’s go to the car. I think I’ve got a blanket in my trunk.”
Given the blanket turns out to be wool, it takes extra effort to get ourselves dry. Once we’re no longer dripping with water, he folds it back up and throws it in the trunk. “Oh, shit.” Vance looks over his shoulder, chewing on the corner of his lip.
I shift around to see what he’s staring at, but nothing unusual is there. “What?”
“I guess I need to get another phone.”
I snort out a laugh. “Ya think?”
He slings an arm over my shoulder and brings me closer, pressing a kiss to my hair. “Yeah, I do.”
I know what I think. I think I’m falling hard for Vance Davenport.
THE SKY BEGINS to change colors on our drive back; pinks and oranges melting together over the horizon. I half expect Ember to want to pull over and capture it on film. I’m about to ask when I catch a glimpse of her out of the corner of my eye. Thick, dark lashes rest against her cheeks, lips forming a sleepy smile. A loose strand of hair blows in front of her mouth and I reach over with a single finger to push it back behind her ear. She stirs, but doesn’t awaken.
This day—I can’t decide if it’s a gift or a fucking tease. I’d like to believe it’s the former. It has to be—given the way Ember makes me feel. The strange ticking inside my chest. How much she makes me want to laugh—want to smile—want to be present in every moment instead of worrying about what tomorrow will bring.
I’ve tried to stay away from her. To forget the sweet curve of her smile, the simple honesty in her eyes, the funny sound of her laugh. Maybe I need to try harder. Or maybe I should just give up the fight and let the chips fall where they may. Except I’m terrified of hurting her.
“Hey.” Her gravelly voice rescues me from my thoughts. “Where are we?”
I stroke my fingers down the side of her cheek. “We’re home, Mickey.”
She swipes a hand over one of her eyes. “Already?”
“You slept almost the entire way home.”
“Oh.” She slides her feet into her sneakers and lifts her shoulders in a stretch. “I didn’t realize how tired I was.” She squints at the clock on the dashboard. “What time is it, anyway?”
“Just after nine thirty.” Unlocking the doors, I hop out of the car and meet her on the passenger side. “Let’s go, sleepyhead.” I reach down, linking our fingers together. She lifts her eyes to mine with a warm smile.
Awkward silence falls over us as we near the porch. The dim light emanating from the lamppost refuses to hide my unease. I glance away and scuff my foot against the ground, stalling to gather my thoughts.
“I had a—”
We both say at the same time.
“You first.”
“I… this… oh fuck.” I let out a nervous laugh and hope the fucking pavement will swallow me whole. “Considering how many books I read, you’d think I’d be better with words.”
“I think you’re doing great.”
I look up to meet her reassuring smile and it gives me courage. “This was the best day I’ve had in, well, as long as I can remember.”
Her face brightens and she nods. “Me too.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.” She moves closer until she’s standing in front of me. I bring her hand up to my chest, my eyes drifting to her lips. Because like I thought, one kiss wasn’t enough.
“Good… that’s… really fucking good.” I fumble, my gaze lingering on the sweet curve of her mouth.
“You love that word, don’t you?” she asks, her breath blowing softly against my chin. Her question throws me off and I tear my eyes away from her lips to meet her stare.
“What word?”
Ember’s nose wrinkles. “The F word.”
Her inability to say it makes me chuckle. “You mean fuck?”