Page 68 of Late Bloomer
She shakes her head and shrugs. “Nothing in particular, I guess. Happy for happiness’s sake.”
Air whooshes out of me, and I feel light-headed, my stomach twisting as I continue to look at her smile. I really need her to stop saying such lovely things with that full and gorgeous mouth if I’m going to refrain from kissing her in public. We don’t have an explicit rule against that, but the choppy sea of emotions in my chest leads me to believe it would be just as bad as breaking the others.
Opal is oblivious, thumbing through more photos, pulling out a few and adding them to her growing pile of crap.
“Come along, Pepper,” she says, moving to the next aisle. “There’s an entire acre of junk to explore.”
Chapter 23OPAL
“You’re Marie Kondo’s worst nightmare,” Pepper tells me after we finally Tetris all the stuff I bought into my tiny car.
“Au contraire, Pepper,” I say with the world’s cringiest French accent. “That bitch—affectionate—loves mess. I’d be her dream come true.”
We get into the car and I start the engine. Since my legs are so short, my seat is always set far forward, but we had to move the passenger seat all the way up to accommodate my treasures, and Pepper’s long legs are folded into her chest, shins pressing against the glove box.
“Don’t forget your seat belt,” I say, throwing the car in reverse. I can’t see out my rear window so I’m relying on hope and a prayer for a few seconds.
“I feel like I need full body armor when it comes to your driving,” she mumbles, securing the strap across her chest.
I click my tongue against my teeth. “So dramatic. I’m an excellent driver.”
“I saw my life pass before my eyes at least six times on the drive here.”
“Yeah? Any good memories sticking out?”
“Getting my appendix out when I was seven really left a mark, I guess.”
“Ugh, Pepper, I set you up so perfectly there and you completely squandered it.”
“Excuse me?”
“That was a prime segue for a suave and sexylast night left quite the impressionline that would then flow oh so casually to you asking me to rock your world again this evening, but instead you go withappendicitis? We need to work on your flirting skills.”
I risk a glance at Pepper as she squirms in her seat, splotches of red climbing up her neck and cheeks to the tips of her ears. “Don’t hold your breath on that. I don’t have a suave or sexy cell in my body, trust me.”
“Last night certainly left a different impression. See? See how easy that was? You try now.”
“New subject, please.”
“Would you like me to transition into the art of dirty talk? Would that be satisfactory?”
“What are you going to do with all this stuff anyway?” she says, ignoring me while her face glows red. She scowls at the one-eyed doll perched on my lap. I stroke its hair.
“I’m going to look at these treasures and smile as I remember what a great time I had messing with you,” I answer honestly, pulling off the parkway to one of the long dirt roads that winds toward the cabin.
Pepper snorts. “You’re incorrigible.”
“Ooh, so close,” I coo. “But flirting tends to lean more toward compliments and less toward insults.”
“Not the way I do it.”
I slam on the brakes, and Pepper jerks forward, hands slapping against the dash.
“What the hell happened?” she shrieks.
I throw the car in park, then launch my torso over the divider, grabbing her cheeks in both my hands and placing a thorough kiss on her parted lips. It takes her a moment, but she softens, leaning into my touch. Kissing me back.
I continue to sip at her lips until her breath comes short, hands curling and uncurling from where they’re fisted on her thighs. With a tiny laugh, I pull my mouth away, resting my forehead to hers.
