Page 64 of To Professor, with Love
Her back immediately stiffened, and I saw some of her professor-self sprout on her features.It was kind of hot.“I am not chickening out.I’m—”
“Chickening out.”I grinned smugly, daring her to contradict me.
“Fine,” she snapped, turning to face the ride.“Let’s go on the Ferris wheel ride, then.”
“Good,” I spit back.“Because it’s our turn to load.”
“What?”Her fingers squeezed around mine as she whimpered.“Oh, God.Noel, wait.”
Pulling her along, I helped her into the seat the guy was holding open for us before I hopped up beside her.She looked so nervous, her fingers wrapped around the safety bar until the bones in her knuckles tried to poke through her skin.
Needing to distract her, I bumped my elbow into hers.“You know, the first kiss I ever had happened on the top of a Ferris wheel.”
Aspen turned wide eyes to me.“What was it like?”
I bunched up the features on my face as if to saymeh.“Wet and sloppy.We were both pretty clumsy, but then, we were only eight.”I winced.“And her parents saw the whole thing.They dragged her off as soon as we landed, chastising her for going anywhere near the nasty Gamble boy.”With a sigh, I shrugged.“She never talked to me at school again.”
When I noticed Aspen was giving me an odd stare, I asked, “What?”
The corners of her lips fluttered up with a smile.“I actually meant, what was the ride like.”
“Oh.Well...”Just as our cart jerked into motion and we were lifted into the air, I reached out to cover her hand.“Time to find out.”
She sucked in a breath and leaned toward me.As the wheel paused to let more people on, Aspen gulped audibly and leaned forward to gaze out at everything we could see from this height.“Wow.”
“I know.”I couldn’t take my eyes off her.“Pretty amazing, isn’t it?”
“I think…I think...it’s the most beautiful sunset I’ve ever seen.”Tears glistened in her eyes and there was no way I could do nothing.
Leaning in, I pressed a brief, polite kiss to her cheek.As I pulled back, Aspen touched her damp skin with two fingers and glanced at me.
Feeling more self-conscious after this small peck than all the open-mouthed, heated kisses we’d shared before, I cleared my throat and tried to shrug it off.“What?It’s a tradition for me.And your parents aren’t here to take you away afterward, so...why not?”
Her lips lifted into a smile, and I blew out a relieved breath, glad she wasn’t pissed.
We spent the rest of the ride in quiet contentment, taking in the reflection of the sunset off the water of the river below.
“Okay, that was fun,” she admitted once our feet were back on solid ground.
“Aren’t you glad I made you try it?”
Lifting her chin, she tightened her lips as if to hold in a grin, but I saw it anyway.“Yes.Yes, I am.”
“So what now?Bumper cars?The scrambler?”
“I have a better idea.”Grasping on my hand, she started off.I followed, charmed by this carefree, eager side of her.
When we passed a tent, she dodged right, taking me into the quiet, shadowed spot next to it, squeezing us between canvas and the hut holding the puppet show.
“Wha...?”
She stopped abruptly and faced me.That’s when I realized...Oh, shit.
My skin rippled with buzzing energy.I refused to react.I’d promised her I wouldn’t try anything untoward.But I’d never said she couldn’t.And obviously, she wanted to.
She lifted her hand, and I held my breath.But then her fingertips barely grazed my cheek, and air hissed from my lungs, unable to stay in.It sawed through my teeth until my nostrils flared.
She didn’t say a word; I didn’t either.Turning her hand over, she brushed her knuckles up my jaw and over my short sideburns.When they combed through my hair, I closed my eyes and bowed my head so she could reach me easier.
