Page 26 of Big Dix

No! Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!

“Some tin foil…”

Oh, thank God.

“She just so happened to turn, and the edge of the foil cut her eye. I feel just terrible about it, sir. I can’t apologize enough.”

“Totally a freak accident.” I look at Poppa. A line creases his brow while I hold my breath.

“Accidents happen, I guess. Come along, Mija. It’s late, and you should get inside and rest.”

I might be a grown woman, but no way will my father allow me to sit in a parked car with a man who is not my husband, in the dark, and definitely not in our neighborhood.

“Okay, Poppa. I’ll be out in a minute.”

“Thank you for bringing my daughter safely home.” He nods in Atticus’s direction.

“My pleasure, sir. Nice to meet you.”

Poppa waves us off, and I roll up the window.

“I so thought you were about to rat my slutty hijinks out to my father. I was mortified!” I swat his big, muscled arm. God, he’s built.

He just chuckles. “I loved every second of your hijinks.” He winks at me, and if anyone else had used that corny line, it’d be ridiculous. But him? He can do no wrong.

“You should have seen your face. I thought your good eye was going to bulge out of the socket.”

He laughs at this, a deep, throaty rumble, and I can’t help but laugh with him.

“Well, thanks for stepping in. I was at a total loss for an excuse.”

“Happy to help, sweetheart.”

Any thoughts of how shitty this night has gone vanish in an instant. His fingers reach out, brushing a strand of hair near my ear. Goose bumps spread across my body; my stomach flutters; and damn, if that one touch can make me this ready to rip off my clothes, I’ll never survive sleeping with this man.

Can you die from orgasms?I need to consult the Googs.

“You have manners, Mr. Dixon. I like that.”

His boyish smile lights up the night. “So, you think that’s a good quality? What else do you find attractive?”

“I didn’t realize we were talking about the qualities I found attractive in men.”

“We aren’t talking about you and any other damn man, ever. We’re talking about what you find attractive about me.” He gently tugs the strand of hair he’s playing with, and I swear, I feel it tingle all the way down to my damn toes.

My heart pounds against my ribs. My breaths come ragged while I try to conceal the fact that I’m about one more tug of my hair away from detonating in the passenger seat of this monster truck.

I lean in closer; his bubble gum-flavored breath hits my nose moments before his lips brush mine. So softly, so gently. Perfect.

“I’m sorry about your eye,” he mumbles the words against my lips, between soft kisses.

It’s euphoric. I feel high on the essence of Atticus Dixon.

“Forgotten,” I whisper, brushing my lips to his.

“You always smell good.”

“Atticus?”

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