We descended the three concrete stairs that lead to the sidewalk. With the size difference, his arm fit around my frame perfectly, unlike with Luke, who was nearly the same height as me. Not that it had mattered, since we had rarely engaged in public displays of affection. Or private displays of affection, for that matter…Unless bad sex counted.
“That was pretty awesome.” I laughed. “Did you see his face when he saw you standing there?”
“I’ve never seen someone turn that shade of red,” he said. “If I’d kissed you, his head probably would have exploded and splattered all over the wall.”
Well, there’s a thought.
I glanced over his shoulder, back at the oversized bay window. The outlines of a few figures seated on the couch were visible. My sense of spite went into overdrive, overruling my common sense.
“Okay,” I said. “Do it.”
Chase looked at me with a gleam in his deep brown eyes. “What? Really?”
“Sure.” I shrugged. “It’s just a kiss.”
I think.
Not like I was going to kiss him back.
Right?
His lips curved into a half smile. “If you insist.”
Nervousness tore through me like a bullet. I tensed, expecting him to get it over with right away. But he kept his arm around my shoulders and guided me several more steps until we came to a stop in front of the passenger side of his truck.
Instead of opening the door, he grabbed my hip and turned me to face him in a slow, deliberate motion. My breath stilled as he stepped forward, fencing me in with his arms. His broad frame surrounded me, engulfing me from the front and sides, while my back was pressed against the metal and glass of the door. Trapped. In the best possible way.
Now that I was within his gravitational field, the pull was impossible to resist. His dark eyes held mine for a moment before falling to my lips. He paused, pulse ticking in the base of his throat. My heart stuttered as I watched him, waiting.
“What are you doing?” I whispered.
“Kissing you.” His gaze snapped back up to meet mine. “Properly.”
He cupped my face in his hands. My eyelids fluttered shut as he dipped closer and his lips found mine. Without thinking, I parted my lips, and he slanted his mouth against mine, deepening the kiss. He tasted like icy mint and heartbreak. Everything else ceased to exist.
I splayed my fingers against his chest, then grabbed at the fabric of his white T-shirt. A small sound of appreciation rumbled from the back of his throat in response. He slid a hand to my nape and tugged at the roots of my hair, angling my face up a fraction and pressing me against the truck.
I’d never been kissed like this before.
It was like falling.
He pulled back slightly, his lips tipping into a smile, before he covered my mouth with his again. It was playful, questioning. I could have gone on doing this all night—nibbling, tasting, teasing. I’d forgotten why we even started in the first place; didn’t care, didn’t want it to stop.
After another moment, he eased back. My breath was ragged, my heart racing. I was so lightheaded that the truck behind me was the only thing keeping me upright.
“Well,” he said. “I think that was pretty convincing.”
It sure convinced me.
I tried to keep my voice level. “Yeah. I think so too.”
OceanofPDF.com
CHASE
The look on Morrison’s face tonight? Awesome.
Getting to spend time with James? Even better.
Kissing her? Fuck me, I’m in over my head.
OceanofPDF.com
BAILEY
Moments later, we were in Chase’s truck, pulling out from where he’d illegally parked on the street. My brain was still scrambled from the kiss, but I was trying to keep it together for appearance’s sake. He probably kissed girls like that all the time. I doubted it meant anything to him.
I wished I could say the same.
“For the record,” I said, “I’m not clumsy.”
He stole a glance at me, a smile playing on his lips. “Is that why you nearly fell off the curb outside XS?”
“I did a lot of things that were out of character that night.” Apparently, I was still doing them. But I couldn’t blame the alcohol anymore.
“Okay, where to?” Chase signaled left and shoulder-checked, pulling out onto the main thoroughfare.
Momentarily distracted by his large hands gripping the steering wheel and the memory of how they’d felt on my body, I scrambled for an idea, coming up woefully empty-handed.
“I think it’s your turn to decide.”
“Pretty sure I decided last time,” he said. “I was trying to be nice, but now I’m dragging you around wherever I want. Prepare for a wild night of adventure and crime.”
“You’re joking, right?”
He shrugged. “I guess you’ll have to see.”
After another fifteen minutes, we pulled into the entrance for a natural park area tucked away not far from downtown.
Trees lined the parking lot, stretching out for miles in each direction, their leaves in their full autumn splendor, painting the landscape with burnt orange, umber, and gold. It was breathtaking.
Chase parked and killed the ignition, then grabbed a gray Carhartt from the back seat before getting out and locking the truck. I climbed out and took in the scenery, enjoying the soothing effect the fresh air was having on my frazzled brain. Small talk and physical distance between us on the drive had helped somewhat, but I still hadn’t fully processed that kiss.
I wasn’t sure I ever would. It was the sort of kiss that I’d likely always remember.
Even if it wasn’t real.
“This way.” Chase nodded to the right. We started down a paved pathway into a dense patch of trees painted in rich fall shades, walking close but not touching.
“What is this place, anyway?” I asked, zipping my coat as we walked. It had cooled off significantly since the week before. There was a nip in the air that promised of winter coming.
“The real name is Hammond Park, but people call it End of the World,” he said. “Sometimes I come here to think.”
“Ah, so not often then.”
He grinned, bumping me with his elbow. “Hey, now.”
Moments later, a glass-walled shack appeared in front of us in a clearing, surrounded by metal bistro tables and chairs. The sign out front read Uncommon Coffee Co.
“Oh no.” I shook my head. “If I drink coffee this late, I won’t sleep tonight.”
“Cool your jets, Grandma. We ain’t here for coffee.” Chase pulled the door open and gestured with an open palm for me to enter first. The heavenly scents of coffee and chocolate filled the cafe, which was decorated in reclaimed wood, giving it a rustic, hipster charm. A chalkboard menu displayed its offerings in pastel shades of the rainbow behind the counter.
“We’re here for that.” He pointed to the left-hand side, where a pink handwritten header read, World’s Best Hot Chocolate. Listed beneath it were original, dark chocolate, white chocolate, peppermint bark, salted caramel, raspberry truffle, peanut butter cup, roasted coconut, hazelnut twist, and spiced gingerbread.
“This is incredible.” I happened to love hot chocolate. It reminded me of skating rinks and bonfires in the winter. Of gliding along the ice, watching my breath plume in front of me, beneath a sky blanketed with stars. Of that blissful, fleeting feeling of being free.
“The salted caramel is almost as good as a blowjob,” Chase said.
I shot him a look. “TMI, Carter.”
“What?” He shrugged. “Just saying.”
“We need to get you a mute button.”
“Anyway, it’s good. You could get tea or something gross instead if you want.” He waved to the menu board vaguely. “But I don’t know how anyone could turn down hot chocolate.”
“Hmm.” I hummed, still waffling between original and the salted caramel. The heavily pierced and tattooed barista at the counter waited patiently while I hemmed and hawed. The flavors did sound good, but it was hard to beat a really amazing cup of classic hot chocolate.
“Know what you want?” Chase asked, stepping up to the register.
I grabbed the zipper of my tan leather crossbody bag. “I can pay—”
“Yeah, no,” he said. “What should I order for you?”
Was this how it was going to be? Maybe I’d actually met the only person on earth more stubborn than I was.
“Salted caramel.”