Page 80 of Gone for You

Small hands grip the lapels of my jacket, holding me close.

“That’s, hot passion.”

I grin. “Hell yeah it is.”

She giggles.

“What’s so funny?”

“Hot passion.”

“Are you having a stroke? Stick out your tongue. You keep repeating yourself.”

“Hot passion is the name of my lipstick, dipstick.”

“I’ve got a dipstick for ya.”

“Holy crap, you’re such a weirdo. Get your head out of the gutter, man.” She reaches into the pocket of her dress and pulls out a tube of lipstick, coats her plump bottom lip with bright red then presses her lips together and finishes off with a loud smack. “Hot. Passion.” She holds up her lipstick.

“Huh?”

“Lipstick name?”

“They name lipstick? Why?”

She throws her arms up in the air. “You’re missing the point, deputy doo da.”

“Whatisthe point?”

“You had my lipstick smeared on your face from…”

“Our hot passion?” I ask her, jokingly. I’m not a complete dumbass. I knew what she meant the entire time. But when one is in the middle of kissing Olivia, one doesn’t stop just because I’m a dude with lipstick on my face.

She sputters a laugh and smiles, wrapping her arms around my waist and leaning back so she can look up at me. “Yes. That’s exactly it.”

Bending down, I kiss the tip of her nose then rest my forehead against hers.

“You look absolutely beautiful, Liv.”

“You look absolutely sexy as sin in that suit, Ethan.”

“Save me a dance?”

“Play your cards right and I’ll save all of ‘em for ya.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Mm hmm,” she hums, kissing my chin lightly and I’m sure I have lipstick there again. “And maybe even a dance or two later tonight.” She steps away, winks and I lick my lips as she spins on her gold high heel.

I slap her ass lightly and she yelps, does a funny little skip and looks back over her shoulder at me.

I need to get to the bottom of why she won’t consider a future with me.

Because I can’t deny it to myself any longer.

I love her.

Completely and totally gone for her.

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