Page 66 of Making New Plans

Her eyebrows lifted, but she did as I said. I grabbed her by the hand again and raced toward the playground. She laughed breathlessly as we stumbled over a few uneven clumps of ground, but she held tight to me.

The playground had surprisingly few children, probably because some sort of magic show was going on by the bonfires. Chloe halted at the plastic steps, uncertainty pinching her lips.

“Trust me,” I whispered, tugging gently on her hand.

My whole body roared in approval when she climbed the steps and followed me to the gazebo at the top near the entrance for the old slide. We were shrouded in shadows and protected by the trees that surrounded the playground. Even then, we wouldn’t be alone forever.

I pulled her closer and cradled her against me, our body heat fusing around us. I tilted her chin upward on my knuckle.

“Let me kiss you, Chloe,” I whispered.

Her breath was shallow, and her eyes were wide, but she said nothing. Fear started to spiral through me.

I leaned my forehead against hers. “Chloe, do you want me?”

There. I’d put the question out in the open. Now I would know, once and for all, if the irresistible pull between us was one-sided.

“Oh, I want you, Hunter.” Chloe’s voice was barely audible. “You have no idea.”

My heart tripped for a beat before picking itself up at a sprint as our mouths crashed together in the same instant. My arms crushed her against me.

A deep need rose in my core, fueled by hunger and magnified by the passion that consumed me.

We swayed, and our legs tangled together. The world tilted, but we didn’t slow down. Our tongues joined the fray as we went down in a tangle of limbs. I caught her weight over me as we half-sat, half-laid on the floor of the tiny gazebo.

I groaned when she clamped her knees around my hips. Her nails raked through my hair, sending chills down my back. I wrapped my hand around the back of her neck and one of her thighs and, without breaking contact with her lips, I swung her under me. She let out the sexiest little moan and slid her hands beneath my shirt.

“Chloe,” I growled into her mouth, every muscle in my body tensed for action.

“Yes, Hunter?” she said between long kisses. Then she trailed those sweet, enthralling lips to my throat, and my eyes slammed shut, my brain completely devoid of whatever I was going to say.

“Race you to the top!” a young girl’s voice suddenly shrieked, forcing my eyes wide open.

Chloe gaped at me, and we both shot to our feet, adjusting clothes and hair to avoid traumatizing whatever children were stampeding their way toward us. Our only escape route was the old slide, so I gestured at it with a wicked grin. Chloe chuckled under her breath and maneuvered her body into the tunnel. I clambered in behind her, and we ricocheted our way to the bottom.

We ran away, laughing, acting silly, but I didn’t care. I’d just made out with an amazing woman on a playground then went down a slide to avoid the people the playground was intended for. I felt alive and happy.

We retrieved our bikes and began pedaling back to the party.

She sent me a mock glare as we cycled. “Don’t you dare apologize for that.”

I grinned at her, my whole being lighter than it’d been in years. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”

Back in the thick of the party, I heard our names being called. I glanced up to see Owen, Carter, Sarah, and Rose waving at us to come join them by one of the bonfires.

We ditched the bikes and walked over.

Carter laughed hard and loud when he caught sight of my flannel. He lifted a hand for a high-five. “I knew you’d convert eventually!”

I slapped his hand good-naturedly. “Gotta fit in with the locals.”

He slid a loaded glance between me and Chloe. “Oh, I think you’re fitting in just fine.”

I rolled my eyes while Sarah mumbled to Chloe, “Seriously, though, what were you two doing? You’re all glowy and crap.”

Chloe shushed her and asked how the event was going. While Rose and Sarah filled her in, Owen handed me a plastic cup.

“Cider,” he clarified, taking a sip from his own plastic cup.

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