Page 18 of What If We Do

“I think I’m doing more than flirting, Oliver. I’m practically throwing myself at you. Because I like you. Please don’t let me fall.”

A hint of mischief crosses his face. “I just needed to hear you say it.”

“You’re looking at me like you want to kiss me.”

“I wanted to kiss you in the cemetery.”

“Is that so?”

“Mhmm.”

“What are you waiting for then?”

He nips at my earlobe. “Permission.”

“Granted.”

He slides his hand to my ass, pulling me against him as tightly as he can, his leg shifting between my thighs. With his other hand on the back of my head, he pulls my face to his and crashes his lips against mine. I smooth my hands up the sides of his torso and then glide them down his chest. He groans against my mouth and though I can’t hear him above the sound of the music blaring through the speakers, I can feel it. When I dip my tongue between his lips his control begins to unravel. Resting his forehead against mine, he blows out a steadying breath.

“Fuck, Scarlett. What are you doing to me?”

An unwelcomed pang of guilt shoots through my chest. “I’m sorry Oliver. If this isn’t what you—”

“No, no, no.” He shakes his head, cupping my face in his hands. “I’m not saying I don’t like it. You’re…” His gaze lowers to my lips and then moves back to my eyes. “You’re beautiful, Scarlett. And that kiss was, well, obviously you can feel the effect it had on me,” he explains, referring to his stiffening cock between us.

“I just don’t want you to think I’m trying to take advantage of you. That’s all.”

“Like I’m a woman in distress, you mean? Because my fiancé left me at the altar?”

He bobs his head. “Well…yeah. I mean, don’t get me wrong. The moment I saw you at the airport I knew you were someone special. Someone I wanted to know. And I like you. Maybe I even like you more than I should because we barely know each other but—”

“No buts, Oliver.” I lay my finger against his lips, halting his words. “We’re both adults and if I didn’t want to kiss you, I wouldn’t have. I like you too,” I tell him with a smile. “You’re fun and adventurous and you haven’t poo-pooed any of my crazy ideas yet.”

“I don’t think they’re crazy at all. Spontaneity is good. Life is too structured to have a plan all the time. It’s nice to let go and live a little.”

I raise up on my tiptoes to reach him better and lift my chin until our mouths connect. He slides a hand through my hair, slightly pulling it to angle my head the way he wants to deepen our kiss, and then sweeps his tongue between my lips. He is without a doubt a passionate kisser and I find myself wishing I were dressed as a naughty nurse or a French maid with a short dress on instead of this gown that doesn’t provide the easiest access.

Because holy shit, there is a pulse between my legs that is dying for some attention.

I break our kiss and then smile at the man who seems to only have eyes for me.

“Then let’s spend this time together living and let whatever happens, happen.”

“I like that idea.”

Chapter 6

Oliver

Taking a reprieve from the main dance floor, we stroll through the rest of the building noting some of the amazing costumes others have chosen for tonight. We’ve seen everything from zombie ballerinas to murderous nuns to eighties punk rock skeletons to angels with sparkling tutus. Every costume is unique, and some extremely impressive in the amount of detail and work put into them.

We make our way into one of the rooms serving appetizers to grab a quick bite, bumping shoulders with several others as we wait our turn. Standing in line, Scarlett and I say hello to a couple dressed as movie stars from the seventies, as well as a man dressed as Robin Hood and his date in a unique butterfly masquerade costume. As Scarlett laughs with them all, I snap a few pictures of her on my phone. She’s in her element, being the social butterfly. I chuckle to myself because she should be wearing the butterfly costume her new friend is wearing. How apropos.

What I fail to notice while taking pictures is one of the skeleton crew staff members carrying a bowl of marinara sauce to the table to accompany the mozzarella sticks. In her chat with her new friends, Scarlett flings her arms out, hitting the crew member and causing him to spill the marinara sauce all over her dress.

Though half of his face is covered in face paint, his expression is nonetheless horrifically remorseful. The side of his face not covered in makeup turns ashen and his body stiffens.

“I am sooo sorry, Ma’am,” he says with a tremor to his voice. He brings a hand to his forehead. “Oh, my God. I can’t believe I just did—”

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