Page 77 of Never You

“Shut up, little witch.” He smiles. “You drive me nuts most of the time, but the last three days I’ve felt better than I have in a while, and I don’t want to think about what comes next other than the road still ahead of us.”

His hand reaches out to my neck and gives it a small squeeze.

“I just want you tobewith me.” He repeats his words from last night, and I swear my heart wants to take it as a declaration ofsomethingas it’s slamming against my ribcage. “Let’s just have fun. Okay?”

I nod in agreement. “Okay.”

It’s a simple agreement. A simple confirmation, but I can’t help a heavy feeling settling in my bones. Something tells me I’m making a commitment I can’t uphold, but he’s right. Who the fuck knows whatever the hell we’re doing. I sure as fuck don’t know, and until we both go our separate ways, I don’t even want to think about it.

If anything, it seems like the perfect closure of my LA life.

I can just be with him for a few more days.

I’m sure my heart can handle that without breaking into pieces when we all have to get back to reality next week.

Not to mention the fact that he made my body explode like fireworks on the 4th of July, and I never pass on a good fireworks show.

Suddenly, he tugs my neck, leaning over to press a bruising kiss on my lips while keeping one hand on the wheel. His fresh scent enters my nose and I breathe him in, a moan vibrating from my throat at the urgency of his action. Before he lets go, he softly bites my lip, then straightens his back, just in time to avoid driving into the car in front of us. He yanks the wheel to the side, followed by a loud honk of the car beside us while I get jerked against the door.

“Shit!” he mutters at the same time I say, “Ouch.”

“Fuck, are you okay?” he asks, frantically, when he gets the car back on the right side of the road. The back of his hand strokes my cheek, looking for any distress on my face.

“Are you trying to kill me, hockey boy?” I do my best to keep a straight face, but I can feel a smile dying as it tries to push through.

I felt that. I won’t voice it, not wanting to ruin the moment, but I felt theneed.

That wasn’t a kiss that was justfun.

“Dammit!” I brush my bruised arm, then swat his side. “Next time park the car.”

“Ah, fuck!” He winces way too much for the force I put into my action, and I quirk an eyebrow.

“Are you okay?”

“Fine.” He shifts a little in his seat, uncomfortable.

“Are you hurt?”

“It’s nothing.”

Not believing a word he says, I reach out and lift his shirt, a fresh tattoo inked on his ribcage. It’s wrapped in foil, the sides taped against his skin to keep it clean.

“When the fuck did you get a new tattoo?” My eyes grow wide, my lips parting in shock.

A sly grin lifts the corner of his mouth as he keeps his attention on the road ahead. “This morning, when I had to make a few calls.”

“You made a few calls while getting a tattoo?” I move closer as he hums in agreement to study the graphic. “Is that—” I look at the side of his face, his smile growing by the second. “Is that a red boot?” I blink, shocked. “With an ice cream cone on top of it? You got a tattoo for our night together?”

Replaying his words in my head, I sense my heart swelling as I keep staring at the deep red ink then flick my attention to my left boot, the ice cream stain clear on the opulent leather.

“I wanna keep this memory.” He shrugs as if it’s no big deal, but really it’s fucking huge. I don’t wanna assume anything. I don’t even dare to dream, but seeing this permanent reminder on his skin of our night together sure as hell makes my heart believe there is more to hope than there is to fear.

Our eyes are drawn to each other, and just for a sec, I see the same hope in his eyes, fueling the deep drum inside my chest.

“First you try to make us crash, and now you’re trying to give me a heart attack, Jensen? Trying to get rid of me?” I joke to ease some of the tension that’s forming inside the tight space of my car.

When he notices how fake my glare is, he rolls his eyes. “There are easier ways to kill you, Stafford.”

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