Page 31 of Stick Handled

My excitement twists instantly into embarrassment, the reality of what I’ve shared rushing back to me.

Why did I say that?Heat floods my cheeks, my heart stammering painfully in my chest.

“Can you forget I said that?” I cringe. The urge to pull away, to hide from his knowing eyes, feels as strong as gravity.

But he’s already moving, his gaze not letting me escape, and when I look up, he’s closer, his presence wrapping around me, dizzying. I try to breathe, but it’s suddenly too shallow, too tight.

“What are you doing?” I ask, barely managing the words.

His lips tilt, the smile transforming, darkening.

“A bonus round,” he whispers, his finger tracing a slow line across my shoulder, leaving goosebumps in its wake. It’s now I realize my cardigan has fallen off my shoulders, bunched up around my waist.

“What else hasn’t been done?” he murmurs, his finger never stopping.

The question lands between us, almost rhetorical, yet charged with a dare that steals my breath.

“Has anyone done this?”

My brain races to process, to keep up, but his hand shifts, tracing down my arm, each touch deliberate, coaxing, pulling me deeper. I give him a little shake of my head.

No, no one’s ever been this close to me like that.

His thumb brushes over my bare skin, so light it feels like a spark, each stroke sending warmth through me in a slow, dangerous burn.

Then he leans in, his lips hovering so close that his breath feathers across my skin, each word a shiver running down my spine.

“No one’s done this?” His fingers trace down my arm again, his thumb gliding in a slow, taunting sweep that makes me feel both on edge and inexplicably alive. “Tell me,” he orders softly.

I can barely think, let alone form an answer, his presence overpowering. Every touch of his hand anchors me to this moment, grounding me and pulling me under. I’m keenly aware of every shift in his expression, the glint in his eye, the way his fingers skim the side of my neck, igniting something deeply, terrifyingly raw within me.

“No,” I breathe, transfixed.

And then, slowly, he leans even closer, his lips an inch away from mine, torturously, tantalizingly close. He smells like the most delicious trouble.

He watches me, his gaze flicking down to my mouth, and I can’t help but part my lips, anticipation and fear swirling together in an intoxicating blend.

“You know, I’ve been teaching you to skate behind Rowan’s back…” His voice trails off, his thumb brushing over my jaw, his fingers trailing in a way that makes it impossible to think straight. “Maybe I could teach you… other things as well.”

My eyes widen at his words. I know exactly what he means.

I’m barely breathing, and my mind is a mess of static and heat. My entire world narrows to the touch of his hand and the sound of his voice. He shifts again, his lips ghosting over my cheek, lingering just close enough to my ear so his breath is hot against my skin.

“All you have to do…” His words are a murmur, just for me. “Is say yes.”

Every rational part of me is screaming to pull away, to tell him to stop, to hold my ground. He’s my brother’s best friend, almost a decade older than me, and completely out of my league.

But I feel my lips move, barely parting, the soft, whispered word slipping out before I can think.

“Yes.”

I don’t recognize my own voice, but Damien hears it. His eyes darken, that unreadable gleam taking on a hunger that’s almost dangerous. His hand moves to the back of my neck, his thumb grazing the sensitive skin at the nape, leaving me caught between nerves and something that feels almost reckless. His fingers tighten slightly, possessive, certain.

His lips tilt up again, and the look in his eyes leaves no question about his intentions. “I’m going to have so much fun with you.” His lips inch closer, so close to mine that I feel his hot breath on them, the promise of the kiss that will destroy me.

Suddenly, the quiet rumble of an engine drifts up from below, and I turn, looking down the winding road. A black SUV rounds the corner, its headlights cutting through the night, illuminating the steep hill that leads to the house.

My heart stops.

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