Page 40 of Captivating Mr. Second Chance

It wasn’t a date.

“Awfully arrogant of you to assume you’re going to get one.”

“Not arrogant.” He wiped off his hands, lounging back in his seat, the corner of his mouth kicked up. “Confident.”

“We’ll see about that.”

Laney ignored the flutter in her belly that had become a constant whenever she was with Ethan anymore as they chatted about his job—she still didn’t get it—and how she was excited to work on the fundraiser—the first of many reasons why this wasnota date. When they finished their food, Ethan dumped the garbage and held the door open for her.

At her car, he stepped into her space, tugging her scarf farther up her neck to protect her from the dropped temperature. “Warm enough?”

“For right this second, I’m okay.”

He darted his eyes behind her, as if checking to see if anyone was around, then crowded her space even more, heat radiating off his body. “You know I planned on asking you out.”

“Huh?”

He loosened her arms from where they were across her body to wrap them around his middle, trapping them between his sweater and coat, sharing his heat. She curled her hands in the soft material.

“In school,” he said, dropping his attention briefly to her lips, and she didn’t dare make any noise to stop him or interject. She wanted to hear his version of their history.

He tucked a loose strand of hair that had fallen out of her bun behind her ear. Even his fingertips were warm, and she cuddled closer to him. “We were talking after school one day. The three of us—me, you, and Jenna—were in the basement before a football game, and she said Madison and I would be good together. You know, bando and dance team girl.”

Jenna was a friend of Laney’s from the softball team. They used to be close friends but grew apart when they went to different colleges, though they stayed in semi-touch through social media. Jenna was now married to her wife, Brittney, and lived out in Jersey.

“Then I saw you and JT before the homecoming game,” he went on, those amber-colored eyes illuminating with emotion that seemed centuries old. That was what it felt like for Laney. Like they were brushing the dust off some ancient text. It was both exciting and a little nauseating. Like this feeling could crumble to ash at any moment.

Ethan swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing, and she was tempted to tuck her head against his throat, but she didn’t want to miss anything he said. “So, I asked Madison out instead. I was jealous. And then it sort of…”

“I know,” she finished for him. They were stupid kids. Stupid being the key word. If they had been honest with each other from the beginning, maybe it would’ve been different between them. Or maybe even right now. “If you would’ve asked me out, I would’ve said yes.”

He nodded, his eyes far away for a long moment before they slanted back to her. “Yet I can’t get you to admit this is a date now.”

“I’ve changed,” was all she said as a slight breeze picked up, causing a shiver to run down her spine, and he wrapped his hands around her cheeks and jaw.

He dropped his lips to brush along her temple as he spoke. “You think you have, but you haven’t. At least, not in the ways that matter.”

Then she tipped her mouth up to his, unable to resist any longer. With her hands around his waist, and his fingers curving along the back of her neck and up into her hair, pieces of herself that she thought lost clicked into place. A new page of their history book turned as new words were written.

She smoothed her tongue along his in what was now a familiar dance, and he tasted both tangy and sweet. He pulled back slightly, licking his own lips, and she wondered what he tasted. She wanted to be the only thing he tasted. To be the only thing he wanted. Though when he gently pushed her back against her car, his thigh moving between hers, shefeltshe was the only thing he wanted.

As he ground his hard length against her hip, she threaded her fingers through his hair, pulling his mouth back to hers when he started to kiss down her throat. He laughed against her lips, nipping at them as if he was frustrated she stopped him, but she murmured a dissent. They had to stop; they were making out in a public parking lot.

“That’s one helluva good-night kiss,” she said, fixing her hair back into its bun.

He gave her one more quick kiss to the corner of her mouth and cheek. “That’s one helluva first date.”

Opening her car door, she tossed him a playful glower. “This wasn’t a first date.”

He closed the door after her, and she started the ignition to lower the window. He leaned down so they were nose to nose. “High school date trifecta says otherwise. Shopping mall, pizza, kiss. It’s a date.”

She shook her head at him, refusing to admit she was so far gone already. He only hit her with a goofy smile as she rolled her window back up and reversed out of her parking spot.

At home, she found Dean in the living room with his feet up on the ottoman.

“Hey.” She took off her jacket and scarf.

“Hey.” He saluted her with a sandwich that he ate over a plate. “You hungry?”

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