Page 10 of Magic or Madness

“It’s real, Fallon,” I whisper, gently stroking her cheek before pulling her lips to mine.

The fireworks go off again, as if the universe is telling me that I finally found my match.

I feel her stretch on her tiptoes to get closer, and I reach down, grabbing her thighs and lifting her off the ground.

She locks her legs around my waist, and her hands tangle in my hair. We’re as close as we could be, but it’s not enough. I’m holding her up, my hands firmly grabbing her ass through her jeans, and she parts her lips, inviting my tongue into her mouth.

The familiar taste of vanilla envelopes me, and I’m weak in the knees.

Fallon lets a soft moan escape her lips, and I take it up a notch, taking her bottom lip between my teeth, and tugging lightly until she moans again.

I break the kiss, sighing as I look into her eyes.

“Wow,” she breathes, dragging her index finger across my lips.

“Come on, Bambi. Let me take you into my world,” I whisper, leaving gentle kisses on her neck.

She rests her head on my shoulder like she’s taken comfort in my arms, and I don’t even think about putting her down. I proudly carry her inside the dealership with all eyes on us.

The guys are crowded around the couch in our makeshift living room, waiting for Fallon to make her grand entrance.

She is the only thing that’s been front and center on my mind, and they all took the brunt of it as I scrambled to find her. There’s no way they’re going to let us have privacy without getting their round of questioning in.

These guys are my brothers, and I anticipate they’ll act like it.

“So, Oz, are you planning on sharing?” Journey asks, and I shoot him a look that could kill.

“Easy, J. I think Ozzy would annihilate anyone who looked at that girl wrong,” Oliver warns, and I wink at him, silently thanking him for taking the words right out of my mouth.

I gently place Fallon on the ground, immediately missing her body against mine.

She takes a seat in the middle of the long sectional, with Oliver seated to her right, and inserting herself right into the chaos. I grab us both a beer from the fridge and sit beside her, pulling her against my chest. Having her in my arms is still new, but it makes me feel complete, as if her touch is now my comfort.

I pop the top off the glass using one of the rings on my finger, passing it to Fallon.

“I’m only twenty,” she whispers, and my eyes widen, not realizing how young she is.

“You’re a baby. Jesus, Bambi, I’m six years older than you.”

“You didn’t know how old she was, man?” Lex asks, and everyone swivels their head to face him.

Lex is our quiet guy, only speaking when spoken to, often staying out of the chaos, but tonight he’s front and center. His thick-rimmed glasses and shaggy hair accentuate his whole nerdy look, but it works for him.

“Fuck off, Lex. Do you think I’d not get her name, but ask her age instead?” I roll my eyes, and Fallon laughs, smacking me on the arm.

“So, Fallon, tell us the truth. Did Ozzy serenade you with only his eyes?” Oliver asks, waiting for the gossip like a teenage girl.

All eyes are on her, everyone waiting for her side of the story. If I heard one of these fools explain what happened with Fallon I wouldn’t believe them either. They’ve been dying to call my bluff, and now that the only other witness is here, they’re ready to fire questions at her.

“Yes, that’s true. He stared at me across the diner, then, I followed him to the bathrooms, and none of you even noticed,” she quips, digging her heels in at them all with her last remark.

She’s remarkable. She takes everything in stride, never letting anything bother her, and her quick wit makes everything she does unpredictable.

In one swift motion, everyone pulls out their wallets, and I groan in response. One by one, each of my friends tosses a twenty-dollar bill on the table, nodding at me as they do.

These guys will bet on anything, and I should’ve known they had a pool to determine if I was telling the truth. I lean forward and snatch the cash off the table, shoving it in my pocket and shaking my head at them.

“Dumbasses.”

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