Page 45 of Make Me Whole
Chapter Twenty-Two
HAILEY
Casting my eyesto the blur of purple whirling past the window, I couldn't resist touching my fingers to my lips. They still tingled from Bradley's kiss. Hell,everythingtingled from it.
I'd spent way too many nights imagining how it would feel to have his mouth on me, to feel his lips move over mine. People usually say the real thing never lives up to the fantasy we'd built in our heads.
In most cases that was true, but this wasn't one of them.
Even my wildest fever dreams didn't come close to the moment in the parking lot. With a single kiss, he'd set my entire body aflame. Every languid stroke of his tongue stoking the fire burning inside me.
I'd been so lost in his touch, I hadn't even cared where we were or who was watching. This was so out of character; even now, my cheeks heated with embarrassment. And not because of what we'd done but rather what I'd wanted him to do.
Gosh, what is this man doing to me?
A feather-light touch to my hand resting on my legs drew my attention. I looked down in time to see—and feel—Bradley's pinky curl around mine. The usual fluttering in my belly made way for a giant explosion while my heart frantically tried to push past my ribs.
Swallowing hard, I let my gaze slowly drift up along his thick, corded arm, over his shoulder and further up until I caught a piercing glimpse of blue before he had to focus on the road again.
"Are you okay? His words were delivered with another quick glance.
I was helpless to stop the smile from spreading across my face. "I am." Maybe a little hot and bothered, but definitely okay.
"We should probably talk." That way-too-damn-sexy grin was back. "You know, about what happened."
Craning my neck, I checked to see whether Jeremy was privy to our conversation. His buds were pushed into his ears while his eyes were trained on his fingers furiously moving over his cellphone screen. Still, I didn't feel comfortable discussing that amazing kiss with him there.
"We should," I said, when my attention shifted back to Bradley. "But not now. Not here." I'd prefer to do it somewhere private, where there was a possibility of a repeat performance.
His eyes flicked to the rearview mirror as he nodded tentatively. "You're right. Maybe we could take Max and go for a ride when we get home?"
Home. He hadn't meant it in that way, but Walker Ranch was beginning to feel more and more like home with each passing day. "I'd like that."
Untangling his finger from mine, his hand went back to the gearshift, and I immediately missed the warmth of it.
We spent the rest of the drive back to the ranch chatting about the day; the things we saw and the people who made us laugh. We talked about everything except that bone-melting kiss, but the heat of it never left my body. Judging by the way his eyes lingered on my lips every so often, it was still at the forefront of his mind too.
By the time we drove through the big wooden gates, every cell in my body was buzzing with anticipation. I was even beyond the point of talking, I just wanted to finish what we started.
The truck slowed as we crawled along the dirt road toward the house. In contrast, my pulse was racing at the speed of light. Bradley's gaze shifted to mine; giving me a long meaningful glance.
He didn't have to say the words for me to know he was right there with me. It felt like ages before we finally pulled into the parking spot. I was vaguely aware of the back door opening and Jeremy saying goodbye.
The only thing—or rather person—I was focused on was Bradley. With a hooded gaze, he was looking at me as if I was something delicious he wanted to devour. And boy oh boy, it was exactly what I wanted him to do.
"Hi," his voice had gone all gravelly and sexy.
My tongue smoothed over my lip; his eyes darkening as he followed the movement. "Hi."
Bradley twisted in his seat so he could face me. "I'm having a really hard time not kissing you senseless right now." I just about melted into a puddle of want at his gruff confession.
"I'm having a hard time not begging you to do exactly that." How I managed to say it with a straight face was anyone's guess.
I heard his sharp intake of breath while he squeezed his lids together. "Shit, Hailey. You can't say things like that to me."
Every muscle in his body seemed to be taut with tension. Feeling brave, I asked, "Why not?"
His eyes flew open; his irises dark and intense, trained on me. "Because it makes me want to yank you on top of me and kiss you until nothing but my name leaves your lips."
