Page 12 of Something to Someone

“That was nothing. Just wait until the day of the wedding when the pressure is on, and something inevitably goes wrong.”

“I’m excited to see you really in action then.”

“Yeah, I’m sure you are,” she said, ignoring my obvious attempts at flirting. But I didn’t want to let her go that easily. Our conversation the other night wasn’t enough.

She reached for the handle of the driver’s side door I was leaning against. When I didn’t move, she shot me a warning look that didn’t make me flinch.

“I can’t stop thinking about our conversation the other night,” I said, intentionally dropping my voice a little bit.

Wide, surprised eyes met mine, but she stayed silent. Her blonde hair fell just past her shoulders in pristine, loose waves and brushed the top of her tasteful cleavage. She was always so put together no matter the occasion—no hair out of place and makeup, if any, flawlessly applied—but the black top, light wash jeans, and heels were particularly perfect.

“And I need to ask you?—”

“Ryder—”

“Do you still think I’m dangerous, Caroline?”

She was silent. Her eyes bounced between mine then narrowed as she asked, “What?”

I shook my head immediately. “I know you heard me, but I’ll ask again. Do you still think I’m dangerous?”

There was an acute defiance in her eyes before she glanced away. Her jaw tensed, and she shook her head, tightening her grip on the door handle. But I was tired of hearing her deny it. I didn’t want her to hide from it.

Taking a risk, I reached for her hip. Like I should have guessed she would, she skillfully stepped out of reach.

“For once, please tell me the truth. If this really is as one-sided as you try to make it out to be, then that’s fine. But only tell me that if that’s really what you believe.”

She stayed silent, unmoving. It was eerie how well she did that. Looking at you, or better yetthroughyou, with expressionless eyes that didn’t bely any of her thoughts. I tried to be patient, but with each second that ticked by, the more anxious I grew.Fuck, maybe I had made a horrible mistake and a gross miscalculation.

My heart was steadily beating faster, and my palms began to sweat. I prepared myself to walk away when she took a breath and straightened. In anticipation for what she might say, I stopped breathing altogether.

“Yes, you’re still…trouble.”

A triumphant smile slipped across my face, and I stepped forward, only to be stopped by her outstretched hand in the middle of my chest. Fuck, her touch felt good. “That doesn’t mean we need to do anything about it, though.”

So close, I thought. “Why?” I didn’t even think about the question. It was an automatic response.

“Why? You’re really asking mewhy? I feel like the ‘why’ is pretty clear.”

I reached up and covered her hand on my chest with my own. It felt good to touch her again, and I was thrilled when she didn’t tug her hand away immediately. Concerned she would see my excitement and immediately think better of it, I kept my reaction locked down.

She glanced down at my hand covering her’s and furrowed her blonde brows in confusion. Like she felt this strange pull, too, and didn’t know how it happened or what to do about it.

“Just give me one legitimate reason why I shouldn’t kiss you right fucking now. Especially when my entire body is telling me to do exactly that,” I said honestly. The desire was nothing new to me,but naming it, vocalizing it, was something completely different.

Caroline finally tugged her hand away. She grasped it with her other, rubbing them together like she wanted to rub away the memory of my touch.

“Because your mom is?—”

“No.” I stopped her immediately. “That excuse became mute the moment I found my mom and my best friend in bed together. And don’t give me any crap about an age difference either, because a decade is barely any time at all.”

“Fine,” she said resolutely, doing the opposite of what I expected and stepping closer to me. She was tall, but she still had to tilt her head slightly to look me in the eye. I straightened and uncrossed my arms. She was close enough that her chest brushed against mine, and I could see the few freckles along her nose and cheeks. “Because I can’t give you what you want, Ryder. I won’t.”

I reared back, and she took the opportunity to pull open the car door. She didn’t say anything else and closed the door in the next second.

I took a step back out of the way as she backed out and drove off, but I watched her the entire time. Her tires kicked up dust and loose gravel, and I had no clue what to think.

I merely stood in the middle of the parking lot and knew I’d have to set the record straight. All I wanted was her.

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