Page 22 of The One Who Got Away
I let him lead me to his truck instead of my car. He opened the passenger side and crowded into me. His fingers gripped my hips and I yelped as he lifted me onto the seat. The heat in his eyes had my heart hammering again.
What the heck was going on?
He moved into my open legs. Nerves bloomed in my stomach. I was sweaty from working all day and probably smelled like Italian dressing.
“What’s wrong?”
“I smell like an Eye-Talian.”
“One of my faves.” He lightly gripped the tops of my thighs.
“Look, I don’t want to?—”
He leaned in and silenced me. The kiss was a little harder this time. My brain literally fell out and rolled away down HopeStreet. When he sweetened it at the end before breaking the kiss, I was a damn mess.
“I’ve wanted to do that since we were fifteen. Hell, thirteen if you want me to be honest.”
Thirteen? We’d all gone to the same school, but I couldn’t remember much about him in elementary school. Suddenly an old memory of the first day I met him shimmered into my chaotic thoughts.“Relay Day?”
He laughed. “You remembered.”
“I remember tackling you.”
“So do I.” He grinned and brushed his thumb along my lower lip. “Pretty sure you activated my hormones that day.”
“I was so clumsy. I got boobs out of the blue.”
“Oh, I know.”
I giggled. “They stopped growing quick. They just got in the way a lot that year.”
“They’re perfect.” His other hand brushed my ribs, but didn’t move higher.
My breath shuddered and my nipples tightened. Thank goodness for my heavy-duty sports bra. “What took you so long?”
“I had my reasons.” He cupped my face.
A horn blared. “Hey, you ever giving up that spot, buddy?”
I flushed as Gus stepped back and flipped off whoever it was.
I laughed. “Gus!”
“It’s my cousin.”
“Oh.” I hid my face in his shoulder. “I’ll order the pizza.”
“Deal.”
He shut the door and I buckled my seatbelt with trembling fingers.
I didn’t know what the heck was going on, but I was more than ready to find out.
Chapter 7
Gus
We stoppedat Church Pizza for a few pies and an order of garlic knots, then at the liquor store for a few bottles of wine.
