Page 112 of Cloudy With a Chance of Bad Decisions

“Did you justlickit?” I asked in disbelief. “Because my mouth was on it?”

“I could lick something else if you want.” Alex waggled his eyebrows, tipped the bottle back and guzzled. Too flustered to do anything but laugh, I turned to his pile of snacks and let the tingle of the alcohol settle syrupy in my limbs. We passed the bottle back and forth until it was mostly empty.

At one point, we ended up on our backs, half-eaten snacks lying in a mess around us. Alex found my hand. I wasn’t sure when—the alcohol made it hazy. His skin was…so fucking warm. Always. Like he was half inferno. His thumb did this incredibly distracting thing, gliding back and forth, back and forth over my skin as we giggled and chatted, eyes on the stars.

We chatted for a very long time.

“Pretty, huh?” Alex asked after a dip in the conversation.

A small white blip flitted across the sky. Shooting star maybe? Or plane.

“Yes,” I agreed. He clutched my hand tighter.

“It’s quiet out here,” Alex murmured. “Peaceful. Easy to forget the rest of the world.”

I squeezed back, understanding a little more why he’d chase moments like this, bugs be damned. “Only peaceful because the wasps are in bed,” I replied, words sluggish and far more freely given.

Alex chuckled. “Yeah?” He twisted to look at me. His shoulders were so broad when he lay on his side he blocked my view of the woods behind him. I wiggled to match him, blinking slow, because it felt nice every time my lashes brushed my skin. “Do they have a set bedtime, Georgie? Nine o’clock. Oh shit! Gotta get my twelve hours.”

“Twelve hours? Why would wasps need twelve hours to sleep?”

“I dunno. Why would they have a bedtime?”

“Because nature, Alex. Obviously.”

“Right. Nature.” Alex’s eyes danced. His lips looked very soft. Very, very soft. Had they always looked so soft? So…inviting? “Because you know so much about it.”

“Like any adult with anxiety I spend a lot of my free time watchingPlanet Earth.”

“I’m not sure those two things coincide, but okay.”

“I’m surprised you even know that word,” I taunted.

Alex leaned in close. “Co-in-cide.” His nose brushed mine.

It was…distracting. As distracting as his eyes were up close like this. There was a smudge of chocolate on his bottom lip and I wanted to lick it clean for him. You know, because I was generous.

“I know a lot of words. Way bigger words than that,” Alex laughed, breath tickling my lips.

“Do you like cats?” I asked instead of sticking my tongue in his mouth like I wanted.

“Cats?”

“Yes.”

“They’re growing on me.” Alex’s lashes looked as ridiculously long as ever. Some people were just blessed and it was unfair.

“What do you mean?” I didn’t understand.

“I kinda adopted one.” Alex’s nose brushed mine again, rubbing back and forth. I found myself mirroring the motion just like I’d mirrored his position on our sides. It was nice, this sleepy, drunken nuzzle.

“How do youkindaadopt a cat?” I said, attention diverted.

“Think about it.”

It took me a second, but realization dawned fairly quickly. “Are you saying you adopted me? And I’m a cat?” I frowned.

“Yep.” Alex’s eyes were drooping. Not because he was tired. But…something else. The heat inside his gaze simmered, his breathing picking up. “One of the white ones—like Mr. Pickles but prettier?—”

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