Page 25 of Gone for You

“Nope. I thought maybe you could use your car to take Samantha to buy some things for their new house,” I say, backpedaling.

“Good answer,” she praises me, patting me on the chest, “even if it was a lie.”

“So to clarify, I’ll go grab Dad’s trailer and Liv will come back with her car so she and Samantha can go do their thing.”

“Ethan, man, we have…”

“Shut up and quit fighting it already.”

“Besides, this is my treat,” Liv pipes in. “I mean, basically I’m just looking for an excuse to go to Target and get in a little retail therapy.”

I could kiss her. “You gonna deny the lady?”

“Two peas in a pod,” he murmurs, walking to the tent to tell Samantha the plan.

* * *

As soon aswe’re back in my pickup, I drive us down the road and around the corner and put it in park again. I’ve been fighting my instinct to kiss her for far too long now and I’m done.

Without warning, I steal a kiss without a single ounce of guilt. Leaning over the console, I thread my fingers through her hair, cupping the back of her head and pulling her close. Her breath catches and I take advantage of her open mouth.

I explore, taste, nip, tease. I don’t want to miss anything. Our first kiss of what I hope is many. I close my eyes, savoring the way she seems to relax under my touch. My thumb draws a line along her neck, from below her ear down to her collarbone. I can feel her pulse pounding and have no doubt mine matches.

She tastes like coffee and sweetness and bacon which sounds weird but it’s intoxicating and addictive. Liv moans, turning her head to the other side to give me a new angle. Her tongue mimics my own in a battle of dominance and I reach over, press the button on her seatbelt and release it. She doesn’t hesitate and dives over the console.

It’s clumsy and she knocks her head against the steering wheel, her feet end up against the passenger window and her back on my lap. Not exactly what I intended when I unlatched her belt, but it works. We both fumble around as we laugh into each other’s mouths. I reach down next to my seat, push the button for my seat to slide back, lean down and kiss her again.

Damn, she’s a good kisser. Her lips are soft but demanding, like she’s not afraid to take what she wants. She shifts, raising up so her back is against my window and her butt is nestled nicely in my lap. Our position is similar to the way she sat on my lap in the diner but this time we have privacy and I can hold her the way I wanted to hold her when we were there.

I reach between us and unzip her coat, slide my hand around her waist and pull her close. She arches her back when my mouth and tongue blazes a trail along her jaw, sucking lightly just below her ear. She’s so responsive, body shuddering, tiny squeaks and moans escaping her throat, fingertips digging into my scalp as she tries to pull me close. The air in the cab of my pickup is sizzling with sexual energy. The windows fogging up against the cold outside temperatures.

“Ethan?”

“Hmm?” I don’t stop my exploration but she has other plans. She traces the shell of my ear with the tip of her finger then leans back. Her golden eyes are soft and draw me in.

“I need to tell you something.”

“Anything.” She stares at me long enough that I start feeling nervous. “Hey,” I say, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear, “whatever you have to say, you can tell me. Don’t be nervous. Not with me.”

She looks between us to where I’ve tucked our hands together against my chest. I squeeze her hand and with her eyes still downcast she says quietly, “I really like you.”

I grin, tip her chin up. “Yeah?”

“Likereallylike you. It’s kind of taken me a little by surprise.”

“Yeah?”

Her crazy unique, beautiful golden eyes turn a few shades darker. “Is that all you have to say?”

I grin, playing with the ends of her hair, kissing her on the cheek, letting my lips linger before letting her see my truth. “I really like you, too. Like,really, really,like you.”

She blows out a breath, rests her forehead against my chin and wraps her arms around my neck.

“I’m really scared. In my world, relationships don’t last. I never saw myself wanting to stay with anyone. But this feels different and I don’t know why. We barely know each other,” she mumbles against my skin.

I remove her hands from behind my neck and lean back so I can look at her pretty face. “This feels different?”

Those little shoulders lift and rise. “As terrified as I am to admit it, yes, it does.”

---