Page 61 of On the Rocks

I ran my hand up the soft skin of her forearm. “He sucks, Cora. On so many levels. I’m sorry your homecoming dance was crap. I really wish I’d been the one to take you,” I said softly, putting as much sincerity into my words as I could. “I would have made sure you had a good time. That it was a night you’d never forget, and not because your boyfriend brought another date.” She looked at me, a hint of regret in her eyes. I nudged her gently, getting to my feet. “C’mon.”

“What are you doing?”

“Weare making up for that horrendous slow dance you just told me about.”

“Aiden?” She chuckled uncertainly. “Here?”

I held my hand out, waiting for her to take it. “Where else?”

“You know there’s a DJ inside, right? He’s being paid lots of money to get people on the dance floor.”

“You really want to go back into that gym right now?” I cocked my head to the side. “With Levi stinking up the place?”

That got a bit of a smile out of her. She laid her palm in mine, and I tugged her to her feet, leading her down the stairs and onto center field. Last time I’d stood out here, I’d been a high school wide receiver, watching the clock run down as we beatthe Rams by a single touchdown. The crowd had jumped to their feet, the stands trembling under the force of their stomping. Now the empty stands stood like dark hills against the blue-black sky, nothing but the faint school lights in the distance and the smattering of stars that were starting to appear overhead.

“Okay, so?—”

“One second,” I said, reaching into my pocket. I pulled out my phone, and with a few quick taps, music filtered through the speaker. I adjusted the volume a couple notches before putting my phone back in my pocket, letting the music play.

“Wait.” Cora said. “Is this…” She let the intro play through. “Is this Lifehouse?”

A smile tugged at my lips as the opening chords stirred fond memories. “You and Me,” I said. “It was one of the top songs from back then, right?”

“Back then. God,” Cora groaned. “You make us sound so old.”

“We’re a little old.”

“Speak for yourself.” She laughed. “I’m younger than you.”

I tugged her closer, and she stumbled into me, her laughter dying as every inch of her body pressed up against mine. I rested my hands on her waist, fingers sliding over soft curves. Cora laid her hands on my shoulders, delicate, like she was suddenly afraid to touch me. “May I have this dance?” I asked.

“I think you already know the answer to that.”

The space between us dissolved even more, and my heart skipped as I took her in—pale cheekbones dusted with blush and dark, fluttering lashes. A sense of longing, of understanding,washed over me. Cora rested her head on my chest, and I wondered if she could hear the galloping thump of my heart against my ribs. The heat between us was palpable as the song swelled, and we moved together in a slow, gentle sway. We’d never danced before, but I couldn’t help remembering all the other ways our bodies had moved together. Her hands moved from my shoulders, entwining around the back of my neck, playing with the hair there, and memories faded away. As sweet as they were, all I could focus on was here. Now. As the song crescendoed, I tilted her chin gently, our eyes meeting briefly before I caught her lips in a tender, lingering kiss.

Cora melted against me, humming softly, her lips opening to my tongue as her hands tightened around my neck, holding me to her as the song faded.

And this time, neither of us pulled away.

17

CORA

Aiden’s lips left the corner of my mouth, traveling up to my cheekbone, then down along my jaw. He followed a familiar path, and I knew his lips would find my neck next. They did, latching on to the sensitive skin of my throat and sucking. I moaned in response, curling my fingers into his shirt, my knuckles pressed against the solid muscle of his back.

He laughed and flicked his tongue over the spot on my neck. “That still makes you moan, huh?”

“You’re going to leave a mark,” I complained, though I didn’treallycare. I wanted Aiden to keep kissing me, to keep touching me. I wanted to stay here with this man who played Lifehouse in the middle of an empty football field in the dark just to make me feel better.

“Sorry,” he whispered, not sounding sorry at all. The word sent a shiver through me. It slithered down my spine, setting off sparks of arousal between my legs.

I giggled breathily as his tongue drifted over the pulse point in my neck. “I can’t believe we’re making out on this football fieldagain.” I’d kissed him here, a lot. Well, mostly under the stands, but there was the occasional good luck peck at the side of the field before a game.

“We did really hone our skills here,” Aiden agreed.

“Though one of us has gotten a bit rusty,” I teased.

“Rusty?” Aiden broke away long enough for me to see the smirking challenge on his face, then he caught my jaw in his hands and pulled us together for another searing kiss. Electricity spiraled through me as I opened my mouth to him again, desperate for the slick heat of his tongue against my own. He nipped at my tongue with his teeth playfully before sucking it into his mouth.

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