Page 70 of Best I Never Had

“Marqu—”

I cut him off, shoving the remaining half of the cupcake into his mouth at the same time he turns his face away to avoid the blow.

“Oh!” he howls.

While I thought my attack would force him off of me, he does the opposite. He smashes his face into mine, smearing chocolate all over my cheek while I struggle under his weight. Before I know it, I’m covered in crumbs and frosting.

“Hayden!” I scream.

He pulls away, caging me underneath him with his hands braced on the couch to my sides. I reach up to his hair hanging off his forehead, removing a large chunk of frosting from the dark strands.

“You’ve made a big mess,” I finally say.

“I believe you started that.”

He doesn’t get off of me. Instead, his body sinks into mine a little deeper as I realize the position we’re in. My legs parted, straddling his hips, while his hard chest brushes against mine. His hips rock the slightest bit, something that I don’t think he means to do, causing me to gasp. His gaze travels down my face, trailing the residue of chocolate cake before landing on my lips, then down to my neck. It suddenly feels hot, too hot, and I feel the heat travel up my back and to my face.

“So what did you wish for?” I ask breathlessly. It’s then Hayden finally climbs off me to reach for a Kleenex while handing me one.

He looks at me as if considering telling me, making me wonder if I already know what his wish is. Until he finally says, “If I tell you, it won’tcome true.” He takes a long, slow sweep of his tissue across his chin to his cheek, making the act look more seductive than intended.

I look away and roll my eyes. The heat and air that felt too tight finally dissipates back into the lighter mood that filled the room before I innocently, so I thought, smashed cake and frosting into Hayden’s face.

“That’s not even remotely true.”

“Still,” he responds. “I’m not going to tell you.”

“Fine. It wouldn’t do you any good to tell me anyway,” I tell him, dusting off the mess that made its way into my sweater and the couch.

“Why’s that?”

“It’s not like I can make it come true,” I tell him, trying to ignore the low raspiness of his voice and the darkness filling his eyes.

26

Hayden

present

I knowI told myself this wouldn’t turn into something complicated, something risky. Butfuck…with her body underneath mine, all supple and trusting, I couldn’t even bother to remember why I told myself that in the first place. Or why I shouldn’t tell her that what I wished for had everything to do with wanting to act on an impulse that I should be ignoring while making me question what the hell I’m doing torturing myself like this.

She’s starting to consume me, making me wonder things about her that I shouldn’t be giving a second thought about. I want to know what it feels like to hold Natalia, to drink in her scent and let my heart swell with the idea of us. I want to learn things about her besides her preference for odd-tasting snacks or that she has a talent to shape and transfigure her hair to look different every day.

I want to know what type of kiss makes her breathless, or how she would react to my fingertips roaming over her body. To study her curves and the planes of her soft skin that are hidden from the rest of the world. I want to know whether she would moan or squirm when I nibble on the sensitive spot behind her knee. Or how badly she would writhe the first time my tongue tastes her, her hands threading into my hair as she whispers my name.

“Um.” I clear my throat, settling back into the couch. “What movie did you decide on?”

She peers up at me shyly, her fingers grasping on to her remote a little tighter as her face ducks into the collar of her sweater.

“Love Actually,” she says sheepishly.

I roll my eyes, my body still hyperaware of how close we were a minute ago as I surrender to her choice.

“Fine,” I say, slowly realizing that I can’t really ever say no to her.

Hayden, make me more lemon tarts.

Hayden, watch boring chick flicks with me.

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