Page 75 of Clean Out of Luck

“Wade, you can’t just kiss people to prove a point.”

I raise my eyebrows at that and lean toward her to kiss her again. This time, she stands up on her tiptoes to meet me. She reaches a hand behind my head and tilts her head to kiss me deeply. This time, it’s not a hesitant kiss. It’s not even a slow, exploratory one.

It’s a desperate plea that maybe this is really what was meant to be.

She’s delicious and consuming and everything a person should be. I want her now, and I want her forever.

A catcall whistle has us pulling apart and glancing around guiltily. I can’t believe I’m making out with her in front of my coworkers. “I’m sorry,” I whisper to her. She deserves better than this. She’s too special to me to make her feel uncomfortable in that way. She deserves it all.

Scarlett jumps out of my arms and presses a hand to her mouth. “You kissed me.”

“You kissed me back,” I reply in a gravelly voice. Apparently, she’s taken away my ability to talk normally.

She puts her helmet back on her head and snaps the buckle. Her eyes are wild. And I realize she’s about to do the last thing I want her to.

Run.

She turns around and hurries toward the door, arms pumping as she speed-walks away from me.

“Wait! Scarlett! My shift is done in three minutes! Don’t go! We need to talk!”

“No more talking! I won’t be able to survive it!” she calls back as she disappears out the door.

Linus and Jack are leaning against the counter in the kitchen area, eating popcorn.

“Dang, man,” Linus says. “Dating my wife wasn’t nearly as dramatic as all that. Have you told her you love her yet?”

I glare at him. “This from the guy who didn’t realize his wife was hinting at a vacation?”

Linus shrugs. “Well, I am the one who’s been married and happy a long time, so I’m just speaking from experience. Women don’t like to guess your feelings.”

“I’ve been trying to tell her my feelings!” I exclaim in exasperation.

“Yeah, I could see how well you were communicating.” Linus rolls his eyes and shovels another handful of popcorn in his mouth. “She knows how you feel about her physically…but we all heard her. She’s looking for commitment. A long-lasting relationship. She wants marriage, not a fling.”

My eyes bulge at that. Wasn’t I clear with her that I want a serious relationship? Didn’t I hint at that? Well, maybe Linus is right and hinting wasn’t enough. Now, it’s time to lay all my cards on the table. If only I can somehow get her to tell me howshereally feels.

I stare at the clock and watch in painful anticipation as I wait for a full sixty seconds to pass.

My shift ends. I run from the room to get my keys, with Jack shouting after me, “Go get ’em, tiger!”

Chapter Twenty-Five

Scarlett

I can’t get home fast enough.I’d love nothing more than to keep kissing Wade.Bad idea, Scarlett. He might think he wants to be with me, but eventually, he’ll realize I’m the boring one. That I don’t have anything that could enrich his life. I’ll probably still be buying dusty history books at ninety—and maybe some romance too.

I have to hurry home before he gets off his shift.

But I’m clean out of luck because by the time I get to the edge of downtown, I glance over my shoulder and see a very familiar 4Runner following after me.

That would be ironic: wiped out by a reckless driver.

A reckless Wade. That’s an oxymoron. That man would never do anything to put me in danger.

I can’t believe he’s following me home from the fire station.

I don’t know what he’s thinking. This can go nowhere. This attraction? We can’t keep going like this. It’s going to end in mutually assured destruction.

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