Page 62 of Caught Stealing

He brushes my left cheek with his thumb and I know it’s time to say goodnight. I just don’t know how, and I think maybe he doesn’t know either because he seems to be waiting for me to lead. I hate these moments, the ones that are only awkward because there is no definition to the relationship. Do we hug? Do I try to kiss his cheek again? Do we wave goodbye like little kids?

Andrew releases me when I make no commitment to leave and straps the helmet he got for me onto the back of his bike. “I guess I’ll see you at the festival tomorrow?”

“Bright and early,” I whisper and it hits me that I don’t want us to say goodbye like this. Ugh, what am I doing? Why am I still punishing him for what Rory did? I let him drive me around Savannah on the back of a motorized rocket, flirted with him all night, even kissed him at the game. The mixed signals I’m throwing this guy probably have him more confused than a rookie pitcher trying to read his catcher.

And he keeps letting me do it.

He doesn’t complain or push. He just…waits.

“I’m going to pick Koa up first, then I’ll meet you at the front office at eight, right?”

I blink the haze from my mind and try to focus on this moment. What do I want? What does he want? What can I do to make this more clear for both of us? My heart slams into my ribcage when he swings his leg over the motorcycle. He’s about to leave, and every cell of my body wants to go with him. I want to stay with him. More than that, I want to kiss him. Not some shoddy kiss cam catastrophe. I want to kiss Andrew Rossi until he knows I’m his, even if I have to iron out a few things before it’s officially official.

He's just about to pull on his helmet when I finally unfreeze and step forward. I move the helmet away with one hand and grasp the front of his leather jacket with the other. I have to lift myself to reach his lips, but by golly, I manage it just fine.

Andrew lowers his helmet to the ground and both arms encircle me when I crash into him. One hand slides into my hair and increases the pressure between us while the other tightens around my waist until he can lift me. And I’m suddenly sitting in front of him on the gas tank of his bike at perfect kissing level. He deepens the kiss and I can’t help the sigh that erupts from the back of my throat. Kissing him is divine, and the preview at the game was nothing compared to the accuracy and precision with which Andrew Rossi moves in tune with me.

A low grumble precedes him pulling me still closer. I run my hands through his hair and he kisses me until I’m delirious with him. I’ve never been so cherished before, so lovingly attended to through a kiss as I am with him, and I make a note of this for the times when my heart tries to run away from what’s coming.

And what’s coming is inevitable, because as much as I want to deny it, Andrew caught my heart. I’m going to fall in love with him at some point. It’s only a matter of when, not if, but if his gentle caress up and down my back are proof of anything, it’s that this time, the fall won’t kill me.

I pull back slightly, nearly gasping for air. It’s only a moment, a quick inhale before I’m kissing him again. If I thought leaving before was difficult, I’m surely going to have a hard time now. Unfortunately—or perhaps fortunately—a car enters the lot and we break apart. Still, he doesn’t let me escape from his bike just yet.

“What was that?” he murmurs into my ear before placing a string of kisses from my jaw to the nape of my neck. “Incidentally, I’ve been wanting to kiss this line of freckles since the night we met.”

Chills shoot down my spine. I didn’t even know I had that many freckles there, but his warm lips on my skin make me want to check for more on the other side of my neck.

“Andrew,” I whisper, thoroughly embarrassed.

He pulls back as if I’ve scolded him, so I press a sweet kiss to his lips. When I pull back, he grins.

“Don’t you grin at me like that. And don’t pretend you didn’t leave me little crumbs all the way here.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” He lifts his leg over the bike and helps me down, but he keeps me close with both arms wrapped snugly around my waist.

“You being all sweet and patient with me as if you didn’t know it would lure me in.” I try to be feisty and put my hands on my hips but he steals another kiss. Back to those freckles. It tickles this time and I giggle.

Andrew has chosen misbehavior over everything else at this point and dives to the other side, eliciting another giggle. I finally capture his face between my hands and kiss him so he’ll stop nibbling in places that make me want to run away with him to a chapel somewhere in the south of France. It’s getting late and I need rest before the fundraiser, so it’s time to put my foot down. He’s deepening the kiss again and I’ll never escape if I don’t end this now. But there’s almost nothing I’d rather do than stay in this parking lot kissing this man.

I finally break free and step out of his grip. “Whew, okay, listen…” I take a breath and he comes back to reality. “I…I just...wow.”

“Yeah. Wow.” He scratches the back of his neck and clears his throat. “Tell me that wasn’t the world’s most epic this just isn’t going to work out kiss.”

“What? No! Not at all. That was the total opposite of a this is not going to work out kiss. It was a…I don’t know. I guess an I know what I want and it’s definitely you, and I need you to know that but I still have to have that awful conversation with my ex kiss.”

His face sours. “I could have done without mention of the ex after that kissing, but I get it.”

I did ask for honesty. Stepping closer, I let him take my hands. “I kissed you because I didn’t want to say goodbye. I had such a great time tonight, and I know you’ve had to be so patient about this. You haven’t complained a bit, and I wanted you to know that I see that and appreciate it.”

“What does this mean? Exactly?”

I take another deep breath and clasp my hands behind his neck. “It means I’m going to send Rory a message tonight and set up a time to talk. I want to end any thought he has of us getting back together and try not to carry my animosity around any longer. And then I’m going to need you to get me a jersey so I can wear it to all of your games as your official girlfriend.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. A pink one like Jess has, please.”

Andrew chuckles and tugs at my hands, pulling them from behind his neck. “Anything you want, sweetness. Now, let’s get you on your way before I’m tempted to kiss those freckles again.

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