Page 67 of The Charm of You

Silently, she hoists herself up and stretches her hand out for me.

I follow her back to my truck, which is when the realization dawns on me, and disappointment weighs on my shoulders. “Right. It’s late. I should take you home.”

But she doesn’t go to the passenger side. Instead, she rounds the truck to the tailgate, props it open, and drops it down with a thud. “I don’t want to go home, Austin.”

I close the distance between us again. “What do you want?”

Caroline hops onto the tailgate, and she situates herself, her feet dangling over the edge much like they did on the bridge. She grabs a fistful of my shirt and nudges me toward her.

I settle between her legs, my body pulsing with desire, and if I thought it was difficult to breath before, I’m downright lightheaded right now.

“You,” she says against my lips. “I want you.”

The words meander through my ears like a siren song, begging for me. I catch a hint of a plea in her tone too, as if she believes there’s any world where I’d deny her.

She’s sitting on my damn tailgate, kissing me and wrapping her legs around my waist. Her heels dig into my ass, and in the recesses of my mind, I’m aware these shoes will lead her right back to the city soon. It’s where she belongs.

But tonight, I’m going to ensure she takes pieces of me with her.

chapter

twenty

CAROLINE

Austin breaks our kiss to retrieve a blanket from his back seat. Of course, he has one stowed away in there. He’s always prepared and responsible, but tonight, I want to discover more of him.

To unravel the wound-up strings inside him that hold him so rigid and intact.

I’m anxious to unearth the dirty side I imagine he’s hiding.

The silence of the night encompasses me. During the day, I picture this field with birds cawing, squirrels chasing one another, and small rocks rolling across the abandoned path from the push of the wind like tumbleweed.

I’m sure it’s a different world, but tonight, this world belongs to Austin and me.

Once he returns, I scoot to the side and allow him space to smooth out the blanket. Then I slide onto it, resuming my position on the edge of his tailgate. When I’d hopped up here before, his nostrils flared like I turned the big, impenetrable man on.

He looked at me like the cherry on top of a perfect sundae, or a rich moonshine in a Mason jar.

A ball of anticipation furls in my lower stomach as he nestles between my open legs again.

I nudge him closer with my ankles locked around his waist, and our mouths fuse together like they were before. My vision blurs from need for this man.

I cup his face in both hands, and he slides both of his up my thighs, the tips of his thick fingers practically clawing at me.

A sexy mix of electricity and desire stirs in my core, and molten lava floods between my legs.

Once he reaches my waistband, he bunches the material in his fists, and I gasp.

Austin works his tongue along mine, devouring my mouth much like he did earlier, but this is different. This is leading to more—so much more.

He still has a hold on my leggings, and his knuckles dig into my skin, which he sears with his touch. The heat from our connection ripples in waves throughout the rest of my body, and it urges me forward.

I hitch my knees higher on his hip bones, clenching them together as I writhe against him, and his name leaves my lips in a muffled prayer.

“Yes,” I pant in his ear as he trails hot kisses down my neck, his hold on my leggings still firm, and when I squirm, the tips of his thumbs skim the lace of my panties.

I suck in a sharp breath, my body drumming with arousal.

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