Page 34 of Embers of You
Because it’s her. It’s Sutton.
Without thinking about it I bring my hand up to her cheek, cupping it, and running my thumb along her jaw, tilting her chin up just slightly, enough so our lips barely graze each other. It’snot a kiss, not yet, but she hasn’t stopped me. And I don’t think she’s going to.
“Alright, time to get off,” the voice of the ride attendant breaks through the haze we’ve found ourselves in. I watch Sutton’s eyes shoot up to mine right before she scoots away from me, seeming to realize exactly what was about to happen.
Her head is ducked as she stands up and beelines away from the ride. I remain seated a moment longer to glare at the attendant.
“Really? You couldn’t have let us have one more time around?”
He shrugs. “Sorry, man.”
I sigh, racing after Sutton because I know she’s going to try and push me away again. I hope she doesn’t, because she can deny it all she wants but we had a moment. And for that brief moment, I managed to break down one of the many walls she’s built around herself.
“Sutton, hold on.” I jog to catch up with her after snatching up the teddy bear she didn’t remember to grab in her haste to get away from me.
It doesn’t take long for me to catch up, stepping in front of her, effectively blocking her path as I hold the bear out to her. “You forgot this.”
She freezes, panic written all over her face, probably already regretting what we came so close to doing. I don’t want her to regret it. I don’t want her to be afraid. She takes the stuffed bear hesitantly with a small, “thank you.”
"How’re you getting home?” I ask, because maybe if I pretend like the Ferris wheel didn’t happen then she won’t freak out as much.
“I came with Bailey because we’re neighbors, so I was going to…oh.” She seems to realize that Bailey left and that was her ride home.
“I can give you a ride if you need,” I offer easily.
“No, no that’s okay. I can call a ride-share or a taxi,” she says, waving me off.
“Sutton.” I give her a pointed look and put on a fake southern accent. “I know you’re still getting used to this small-town life, but ‘round here we don’t have those fancy shubers or taxi cabs.”
A laugh bubbles out of her, and I smile proudly at the fact that I was able to get it out of her.
“Seriously, though, let me give you a ride home.”
She sucks her bottom lip between her teeth, nibbling on it slightly, and it only serves as a reminder of how close I was to knowing how those same lips would feel pressed against mine.
“Okay,” she sighs quietly, and I call it another win for the night.
“Don’t act like it’s such a hardship,” I tease. It earns me another small laugh and I feel like I should be collecting these, saving them up so I can savor them forever. If I have one goal in life, it’s to make Sutton laugh at least once every single day because the sound of her laugh is the greatest thing I’ve ever heard. And to hear it every day forever would be a prize greater than anything I could ever win.
CHAPTER 17
Sutton
We ridein a comfortable silence back to my house. Jameson has a nice truck, and of course even the way he drives is incredibly sexy. One handed, with it draped over the wheel at his wrist. His other arm is resting between us, and I stare at the veins that lead up to his hands which look like they’re callused from hard work.
Sitting here, my eyes don’t leave his arm, as though I’m trying to will him to move it over to me. "What would it feel like to have his hands on me? To have him reach over and rest his large hand on my thigh. Would he rub his thumb absentmindedly? Or grip me possessively?"
I have so many questions, but I shake my head knowing I’m likely not going to find out the answer to any of them. Mostly because I messed up the possibility of anything happening when I ran away after that almost kiss we had.
Dropping my head back against the seat, I close my eyes and revel in how much of an idiot I am. Now, even the possibility of friendship is out the window. I’m sure he’ll avoid me for the foreseeable future after this awkward evening.
“You’re thinking really loudly over there.” Jameson’s tone is full of humor. “Might as well tell me what it’s about.”
I roll my head to the side to look at him again. “If I’m thinking so loud then you should already know what it’s about.”
He smirks. “You would think. The problem, it’s like your thoughts are screaming, but it’s like this shrill high pitch noise that I’m not able to understand.”
“Are you calling my voice shrill?” I gasp.
