The entire plot ended up being even worse than I’d originally thought. The “doll” ended up being a life-sized blow-up sex toy. And there were sex scenes. Lots of sex scenes. My grand plans to make out were doused by all the raunchy action happening on the screen. It was like watching a train wreck it was so bad, and both City and I could only gape in horror at some of the plot that went down.
“I am so sorry.” Absolutely mortified, I took her hand and slipped lower in my seat. “We can leave. Let’s leave.” I tried to urge her to follow me out of our seats, but she resisted.
“Are you crazy?” She yanked us back down as she continued to watch the movie. “This is my first movie date. Besides...I gotta see how this ends.”
So we ended up staying and watching the entire thing.
As we left the theater hand in hand a hundred and twenty-five minutes later, she leaned her head onto my shoulder and said, “You know, it really wasn’t that bad of a movie. Underneath all the sex and plastic, and you know, air blowing, it really did cover some deep, meaningful topics. Kind of makes me feel all introspective and think about what’s really important in life.”
I grinned as I shook my head. We stepped into the warm evening air and I led her toward a darker, empty street. Then I leaned into her, burying my face in her hair and inhaling her essence. “You always know how to find the bright side of everything, don’t you? I love that about you.”
She turned to me, her golden smile glittering with warmth. “Know what I love about you?” she murmured, brushing her nose against mine.
I batted mine back. “What?”
“How special you always make me feel.”
I coiled a piece of her red hair around my finger. “You are special.”
Shaking her head, she moved in closer, her breath fanning my lips. “Not to anyone else, I’m not.”
“Then no one else matters.” I kissed her softly, then a little deeper. Eventually, our lips parted and tongues brushed.
My fingers grew restless and body tense with wanting. I moved my touch down the sides of her throat, over the backs of her shoulders, and along her spine until I was gripping her backside and pulling her into me, against every part of me.
Her arms came around my neck. I was so hard and achy I would’ve taken her right there if she’d let me. But a group of guys passing nearby scared the crap out of us. We broke apart, gasping and gaping at each other.
When the others passed, unaware of our presence, City bit her lip. Then she reached for my hands. I took both of hers, and she seemed to calm, grinning wildly.
“So, do you really want to throw caution to the wind and get something to eat together?”
I winced, not wanting to ever tell her no. But... “I can’t.” Her face fell, so I rushed to add, “I wish I could, but I’m supposed to meet Mercy in twenty minutes on the square.”
At City’s curious frown, I sighed and rolled my eyes. “Mom wouldn’t let me borrow her car to come into town unless I brought Mercedes too. She said she needed a night out away from the baby.”
“Oh.” She bumped her shoulder against mine before she turned and started up the street. “Yeah, I had to catch a ride into town with Max.”
I hurried to catch up so we could walk together. “And he didn’t have a problem dropping you off alone at the movies?” When she sent me a strange frown, I added, “I mean, he wasn’t suspicious that you were meeting anyone?”
She grinned. “I told him I was meeting my friend Ada and watching a show with her.”
“Who’s Ada?” I cocked my head to the side, trying to recall if she’d ever mentioned her before. “I don’t remember you ever talking about an Ada.”
“Haven’t I? Are you sure? Because she’s one of my favorite authors ever. I thought I’d mentioned all my favorites to you.”
“You mean Ada Frost, or whatever?”
“Yes! I knew I’d told you about her stories. Ryan’s story is supposed to come out next, and I swear I’ve been waiting forever for it. He’s this war hero who gets PTSD, but he also had a really bad past where his dad—”
“City,” I said.
“Hmm?”
“You’re fan-girling.”
She flushed. “Was I?”