Page 3 of Playing for Keeps
After a second to process that initial shock, she stormed on, talking quickly without stopping to take a breath. “That guy wants me to dance with him, but I’ve already told him no, and he won’t leave me alone. Pretty please with a cherry on top?”
Justin slowly lifted his head to look over her shoulder. Patrick’s rhythmic footsteps were getting closer, and Caroline clasped her hands in front of her chest as she silently begged him to go with the flow.
Justin turned his piercing eyes back to her and wrapped his strong arm around her waist.
Oh, boy. Every inch of her skin hummed at his touch as he pulled her flush against him. Her hands released from each other, and her palms pressed to his solid chest. She was weightless, hovering in an alternate universe where this man was a more powerful force than gravity. The air was barely thirty degrees, but her insides were flaming hot.
Justin leaned down until his lips grazed the shell of her ear to whisper, “Can I kiss you?”
Sweet buttercream, her knees were melting, and her reason was off on vacation. She’d kissed a couple of guys, but she’d never experienced this kind of physical reaction, even after the fact.
Patrick’s steps hadn’t slowed behind her, so if he was watching, the loving embrace wasn’t deterring him.
“Yes.” It was barely a whisper in the wind, but she’d gotten it out.
Then Justin’s mouth was on hers, pressing and skimming in a dance that was too close to perfect. Forcing herself to breathe, Caroline lifted onto her toes and leaned into him. His embrace tightened around her, and her hands slid up his shoulders and into the short hair at the nape of his neck.
A low rumble vibrated from Justin’s chest, and Caroline gasped, breaking the kiss that had spun completely out of control in a matter of seconds.
Covering her mouth, she stepped back and stared at the man in front of her. She’d kissed a stranger. She’d made out with someone and liked it!
Justin rubbed a hand over his face, then trailed his fingers through his hair. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to do all… that.”
Caroline turned, whipping her hair in a fan out around her as she searched the dark parking lot. Patrick was nowhere to be found.
Facing Justin again, the music from inside thebarn rose over the roaring in her ears. “I think we did it. He’s gone.”
Justin scanned the area. “I never liked that guy.”
“Who does?” Caroline gasped and slapped a hand over her mouth.
Justin laughed. The hard lines of his face melted, giving her a glimpse of a smile.
Caroline lowered her trembling hand. The last ten minutes had her adrenaline pumping. “That was mean. I shouldn’t have said that. He just wouldn’t back off.”
“You shouldn’t have to put up with that. No means no.”
Wow. Justin had strong feelings about consent, which was a plus in Caroline’s world. She had plenty of morals that she would stand on to the bitter end, and this was one of them. Still, not everyone had the same virtues she did. She could have easily chosen a stranger who would take just as much advantage of her as Patrick.
“Thank you for… that.” Her thumb jerked over her shoulder as if the threat had once been behind her. What was she running from again?
Justin stared down at her with an expression she couldn’t read. Shadows from the low light fell over his eyes, hiding them from her. “Anytime.” He glanced over his shoulder at the door leading to chatter and dancing.
Another thanks was on the tip of her tongue, butshe’d already said those words. What did you say to someone you didn’t know but shared an earth-shattering kiss with? “Well, um…”
“Do you want to hang out with me tonight?”
What? They’d just “met,” and he wanted to hang out? Of all the things he could have said, that wasn’t one she’d expected.
Caroline’s pulse picked up speed again as she grasped for a reply. What was she supposed to say, and why did she want to say yes?
He was Chuck’s son. Their families hated each other. Everyone in town knew it. Justin hadn’t even bothered to introduce himself because they’d known about each other since they were kids. They wereneighborsfor goodness sake, but their relationship wasn’t the friendly kind.
Justin rubbed the back of his neck. “Listen, I know we just officially met in an unconventional way, but I’m not like him.”
Him. Justin’s dad. He didn’t even want to say his name or define the relationship.
She’d known him all of five minutes, but he was doing a good job of showing her that he was telling the truth. Why couldn’t Skye or Nora be here when she needed advice? Caroline trusted blindly, and she was aware of that flaw. She liked being friends with everyone and giving the benefit of the doubt.
