Page 21 of Can't Help Falling in Love
Glasses clinked in the background, noises filtering in the night air. Chatter, laughter, melodious music that seemed to amplify the electric energy between them.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
Their mouths moved closer, barely brushing against each other like a phantom caress. Because he wanted to savor everything about her, he kept a bit of space between them. Just enough for him to speak and her to feel his words.
“When I saw you today, it was all piled on your head. Little tendrils were trying to escape. It was sexy.”
She huffed out a breath he felt everywhere. “Sure.”
His free hand moved to her cheek, his thumb stroking along her jaw. “I wondered what it felt like. What it would look like, tumbled around your shoulders.”
Lexi’s breathing turned choppy, short, sharp little bursts. “Then you thought, maybe I shouldn’t order soup?”
He laughed, aware of the way she tried to deflect compliments. He smiled, his face coming closer, his thumb stroking her cheek in a mesmerizing back-and-forth. “Maybe. But I also thought you were beautiful and focused. Determined.”
Her fingers flexed against his chest. “Clumsy.”
Will shook his head. No. He wouldn’t let her see only that. He hated that she did. She was a hell of a lot more. People milled around; he didn’t know anyone so he didn’t really care but he didn’t want to make her uncomfortable. He started to step back, just to give her someair, but her fingers curled into his shirt, keeping him close, making him grin.
He pressed a kiss to the corner of her mouth, enjoyed her hiss of air. She tried to turn her head to meet his lips but he pulled back, touched the tip of his nose to hers, moving up to press a kiss to her forehead.
“Not clumsy. Determined. Strong. Fucking beautiful and completely unaware of it.”
The hand in her hair slipped down her back, over the curve of her hip. He used it to pull her against his body but he had a feeling that with Lexi, close wouldn’t be enough. And that was something he could say he’d truly never felt or thought about a woman before. She dropped her forehead to his chest with a small thud.
She groaned, soft but audible. “This reminds me of what running feels like.”
He leaned back, forcing her head to leave his chest. “What? How’s that? Clearly, I’ve been doing running wrong.”
Lifting her head, she held him captive with those expressive eyes. “I’m no expert anymore but this slow burn? The buildup?”
Her fingers danced up his neck, along his nape, and he shivered. Actually fucking shivered.
The proof that she felt it was in her sultry smirk. “Your blood warms up, your muscles relax, your limbs loosen up.” She pressed herself closer. “You get in the zone. There’s nowhere else you want to be. Then it starts to get really good. Your blood starts rushing so hard you can feel your heartbeat everywhere in your body.”
Holy fuck.
“Jell-O shots,” someone behind him hollered.
He and Lexi kept staring at each other, their breath seesawing back and forth across the small distance between them.
She stepped back as more people crowded the patio. Someone came around with a platter of mini cups filled with orange and green Jell-O.
A tall redhead in sky-high heels and a body-molding black dress stopped beside them, holding out the tray. “Take one and pass it around.”
Lexi shook her head. “No thanks. Love your dress. It’s gorgeous.”
The woman smiled, met Will’s gaze. There was something familiar about her but he couldn’t place her.
“How about you, handsome?” She moved the tray closer to him.
He frowned. He was very clearlywithLexi. Sure, no one knew the dynamic between them, but it was impossible not to see the chemistry firing around their little bubble. Jesus, he couldfeelit.
“No. Thank you.”
“You look so familiar,” she said, tilting her head as if trying to place him. She took one of the shots, downed it, set the cup on the tray, and passed it to the next person.
Lexi stiffened even as she fidgeted with the hem of her sweater. He felt her discomfort as if it were his own.
