Page 80 of Pick-Up
“You’re the one who dragged us down here to gaze at the stars! What’s next? Piña coladas and getting caught in the rain?”
“In my defense, I didn’t realize you’d lose our one light source. Dim lights are romantic. A total blackout is apocalyptic.”
“Well, welcome to the end of the world!” I say cheerfully.
“Happy to be here!”
In that moment, I come into contact with something hard. And, gratefully, made of metal.
“I got it!” I exclaim, holding the lantern over my head. “Victory!”
After some fumbling, I switch on the light. And I am caught by surprise. We both are. Because as it turns out, we are sitting face-to-face on our knees, only inches from each other.
Our laughter stops dead.
“Hi,” he says.
“Hi,” I say. After a beat, I add: “So, that’s your face.”
“Keen observation.”
“It’s not so bad,” I murmur, my gaze dropping to his lips, then locking on his eyes.
“A ringing endorsement.”
As we watch each other, his eyes turn molten. “Charlie was right,” he says finally.
“About what?”
“About you being great. Aboutmethinking you’re great.”
A warmth swells in my chest. I smile, look up at him through my lashes. “You think I’m great?”
“I do.”
“Me? Not just my work?”
“Nope. Not just your work. You.”
And I know in that moment, I really like him too.Damn.
There is a heavy pause.
“What now?” I ask.
I watch as if in a trance as he lifts his hand to my face, runs a thumb along my jawline, leaving trails in its wake. “We’re screwed, remember?”
I set the lantern down. The air between us sparks and sizzles. We both lean in. Our lips are millimeters apart. There is no space for thoughts. He smells like sea and that damn cologne. The sounds of the ocean and his breath sync up in my head.
I decide to give in. Why fight it? It’s just a kiss. Our lips, parted, brush each other. A tease. A drive-by. It leaves me hungry for more. Every inch of me lit up.
He circles back for a lengthier visit. His lips press against mine, softly at first, and then harder—and it’s like a feverish release. Like I’ve been waiting all my life. I nip his bottom lip, pull away slightly to let him chase for more. Run a hand down the bicep Iwasn’teyeing before. His skin is warm, firm. He pulls me close, his fingers lacing through my hair at the back of my neck. I grind into him, heat rising to the surface as he drags his hand slowly down my side, all the way to my waist. He kisses me deeper.
“Sasha,” he says, pulling back for a moment. “Damn.”
I know what he means.
I’m seeing stars, but now they’re behind my lids. I slip my arms around his neck and pull him back in for another kiss. He tastes likerum punch and promise, and everything in my body needs this. My worries from before have been subsumed into a tornado of want. I am lost in him. Nothing else matters.
