Page 18 of Wish Lists and Road Trips

“What?”

She pressed her pink nail to her cheek. “That’s why I can’t get a read on you.”

“A read on me?”

“Yeah, your psychic power is battling my psychic power.”

I covered a laugh with a cough. “What are you talking about, Brit?”

She waved a hand at me. “No, this makes sense. Sometimes I can’t get a feel for people because there isn’t enough in them to pick up on. Not a lot of depth, you could say.” She pointed to her temple and made a face that I could only assume would be insulting to those people. “But your energy is almost too deep. You’re like the ocean. The more I try to explore you, the darker it gets.”

I snorted, but the look on her face told me she wasn’t kidding. And as stupid as it was, I was curious. “So what have you been able to pull from the depths?”

She sipped her drink, then pointed it at me. “You’re under a lot of stress.”

“We’re stranded at the airport. You’re going to have to do better than that.”

“Okay.” She crossed her arms, looking determined to blow my mind. “You’re very close with your family.”

“I already told you I work with them. I hope you don’t have a booth somewhere where you scam people out of their money.”

She stuck her tongue out at me and I was about to give up on being impressed when she leaned forward on her elbows, pinning me with her big brown eyes for what felt like an eternity. Long enough for moisture to form on my hairline and my pulse to tick up.

“You want to enjoy this,” she said, “but you have no idea how to. I don’t know why, because I’m not actually psychic, but I can see it in the way you stop yourself from smiling.”

My face fell and I blinked at her while I nursed the blow she’d just delivered. I wasn’t completely unaware that I did this, but no one had ever said it to me quite like that—so quietly understanding. Usually my shortcomings were thrown in my face after another relationship ended.You can’t ever make time for me, Nick. You don’t know how to have fun. You’ll never be happy.

Something about the way Brit said it, though, like she thought I had a choice in the matter, it clawed at me.

She was still leaning into my space, the smell of her shampoo lingering. My eyes dipped to her neck, then lower, and I wondered if she tasted as sweet as she looked.

I’d been watching her since the minute we met, trying to figure out how she seemed to float on air no matter what the world shoveled at us. Even when she was pissed at me for trying to help her, or digging into places in my brain I didn’t want her, she was beautiful.

Her bra strap peeked out from her tank top and I imagined pulling it to the side and pressing my face to the dip of her shoulder while she told me more secrets about myself.

Forget it, Nick.

I forced my eyes onto my beer. Brit was nothing I had any business indulging in. I’d asked her to distract me, but I didn’t mean it like that. We were temporary friends, and as much as I’d tried when I was younger, I wasn’t interested in temporary. I sure as hell wasn’t going to have a one-night stand to take my mind off of Alex and his damn list. Not that it was even on the table.Jesus.I should cut myself off.

“I’m beat,” I said, willing away the hard-on I felt stirring. “Are you finished?”

She tipped the last of her drink. “Yeah.”

I helped her down from the stool, keeping my eyes fixed over her head as we left the airport and crossed the street.

“Don’t forget to check in with me in the morning,” I said when we reached the lobby of the hotel. I took out my phone and handed it to her. “Call yourself so you have my number.”

She gave me a simpering look. “You know I’m going to text you all the time now.”

I didn’t argue.

When she was done, I pocketed my phone and suddenly I didn’t know what to do with my hands. I really wanted to hug her goodnight, but I also wasn’t into torturing myself. After where I’d just let my mind go, I should probably just walk away before I said something stupid.

She didn’t give me a choice, though. She launched herself at me, wrapping her arms around my waist and squeezing with her typical enthusiasm. I had no choice but to hold her, feel her warmth, smell her hair. How did she smell so good after spending all day in an airport?

“Goodnight, Nick,” she said into my shirt. “Thanks for keeping me company. You have no idea how much I needed it.”

She let me go and I stood there, feet glued to the ground as I watched her board the elevator. She had no idea how much I’d needed it too. I felt lighter than I had in days. For two whole hours, I’d forgotten about all of the pain and pressure of why I was there, and I’d just been a guy talking to a pretty girl in a bar.

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