Page 119 of All Too Well
“Oh, please, like I would’ve ever dared to. You were Mr. Popular and a football god. I was only cool enough to talk to when people weren’t around.”
I don’t think that was the case at all. “I talked to you.”
“No, not really.”
Now she’s being ridiculous. “Ainsley, we sat together in lunch. I made everyone make room for you.”
While Caspian and I were popular, Ainsley really wasn’t. She was pretty, smart, and likable, but she was super shy.
I’ll never forget the first day of school her freshman year. I walked into the lunchroom, and she was sitting alone, with her book, at the edge of a table. I almost lost my shit. The need to protect her was so fierce I walked over, plucked the book out of her hand, grabbed her lunch, and just walked to my table. There wasn’t room, so I kicked one of the football players out and let everyone know that she’d be sitting with us.
“Oh, I remember that. I hated you for doing it.”
“Why?”
“Because I like to read. Lunch was my time where I could get lost in a story and not have to talk to people, but then you made me sit there where everyone was nonstop talking. Dear God, I would have a migraine every day. Not to mention, I couldn’t follow half of what you guys were going on about. Plays and scoring and penalties. Who cared?”
I laugh and pull her to my chest. “We did, but in the end, it really didn’t matter.”
“I wish we could go back.” She rests her chin on my shoulder.
“I would’ve done things different.”
Ainsley leans back to look at me. “Like what?”
“I would’ve danced with you.”
She smiles. “I would’ve liked that.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t.”
“You’re dancing with me now, and if I’m honest, this is much better.”
“Why is that?”
She leans in, her lips nearing mine. “Because I never would’ve had the courage to do this before.”
Then she kisses me, and I swear the entire world disappears except for the beautiful woman in my arms.
twenty-five
Ainsley
“Shh,” I tell Lachlan as I pull him into my room.
Tonight was everything to me. We danced, kissed, laughed, and now he’s in a place I dreamed of so many nights.
The Admiral’s room is four doors down, but I swear he hears everything. So we will need to be exceptionally quiet.
When we make it without issue, I close the door ever so softly, and then he grabs me from behind, turning me into his arms.
I stifle a squeak before his lips are on mine.
I don’t think there’s anything better in this world than kissing Lachlan. His hands are in my hair, tilting my head to get better access as he walks me to the bed.
My shirt is pulled up and then tossed to the side.
I do the same to him.
