Page 8 of One Pucking Destiny

He may be a catch, but the timing is all wrong, and there’s really nothing I can do about that.

“What are you thinking?” he asks as if he could tell my mind just put him through a complete assessment.

“Nothing.”

“Lies.” He smirks. “So I assume you’re a student here? What do you study?”

I shrug. “Stuff.”

He nods. “Ah, so that’s how it’s going to be. Well, I’m out of college, but I visit a lot to see Hattie.”

“And what do you do for a living?”

He shrugs. “Sports.” His vagueness mocks my answer from moments ago.

Damn, he’s funny, too.

“I hate sports.”

He produces an audible grin and runs his fingers through his hair. The sandy-blond hair slides through his fingers and flops to the side. “Well, okay then.”

I really need to shut this down. I might be game for a fling or a one-night stand, but in the brief time I’ve known Bash, I know he’d end up as so much more. “Look, I’m sure you’re a great guy. I’m just not looking for anything right now.”

He grips my waist, changing the cadence of our dance into something slower. “Truthfully, I’m not either. I don’t live here. I’m twenty-four and travel a lot. I’m not trying to put a ring on it.” His mouth tilts up at the corners, and his breathtaking smile accentuates his dimple.

I circle my arms around his neck as he guides my body against his. We sway to a beat of our choosing, and it’s slow and captivating. “Okay, good. Then we’re on the same page.”

“Definitely on the same page.” He trails the tips of his fingers up and down my back, causing goose bumps to erupt.

My breathing becomes labored as his touch moves over my skin. He slides his hands down my arms and then back up and around my back. Slowly, he moves them against my sides and around my waist, expertly touching all of my exposed skin in a way that drives me crazy. And I have a feeling he knows exactly what he’s doing.

The half sigh, half whimper that leaves my lips does so without my approval. In this sea of drunk college students, I’m a prisoner to his touch. I close my eyes as his head dips, and his lips press against the skin of my neck in a soft kiss. Using his full lips, he peppers kisses down my neck and over my shoulder.

Everything in me wants him—all of him. Even if just for one night.

I can do one night. Enjoy his company and walk away. There’s no doubt in my mind that he’ll make my body feel so good, and I deserve this. It’s my birthday, after all.

Reaching up, I cup his jaw with my palm. “Let’s get out of here.”

“Are you sure?” He tucks a strand of hair behind my ear and peers down at me with his beautiful blues.

“Absolutely. Let me just tell my friends I’m heading out.” Rocking up on my toes, I place my lips against his in a chaste kiss. It’s short and sweet, but the promise of what’s to come beats loudly within my chest.

Minutes later, Bash threads his fingers through mine, and we race out of the club as if it were on fire.

The hilarity isn’t lost on us, and we both break out in laughter as we sprint past the bouncer stationed at the front door. “Let’s go to your place,” I say.

“Works for me. It’s only two blocks away.” He releases my hand and steps in front of me, crouching down. “Hop on.”

I jump onto his back, wrapping my arms around his neck and my legs around his waist. He stands tall and slides his arms under my legs, securing my body to his. He walks like a man on a mission.

I pull his earlobe into my mouth before I kiss the skin below his ear.

He groans and starts to jog, causing me to bounce. “Bash! You’re shaking my brain!” I laugh.

“It’s your own damn fault.” He stops in front of an older white house with a wooden front porch. He releases his hold on my legs, and I slide down and follow him up the stairs. He unlocks the door and motions me inside.

The second the door closes behind us, my back is against it, and Bash’s tongue is in my mouth. His fingers thread through my hair, pulling me closer to him. Our mouths move with a familiar heat and undeniable chemistry. It’s as if my lips have been waiting my whole life—starving—for this kiss.

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