Page 37 of Endurance
“Why are you smiling like a creep?” I ask.
“I thought I was doing a sexy smile.”
“If by sexy you mean the kind of smile my Uncle Morty gives me then, by all means, continue.”
His face falls, but he shakes it off and smiles again. “I’m just thinking about all the naughty things I’m going to do to you tonight.”
My brows lift. “Do tell.”
“I think I’d rather keep you in suspense.”
He leans down and drops a kiss on my lips as if it’s the most normal thing in the world. It’s both surprising and pleasing.
“How was that?” he asks with a wink.
I frown. “How was what?”
He leans down to whisper in my ear. “There’s a photographer at ten o’clock.”
I feel my giddiness plummet. I want to pull away, but I know I need to stop being such a moping martyr. Instead, I decide to raise the stakes.
I reach up and pull him down to my lips and moan in satisfaction when I get a hold of his lower lip. I feel him chuckle against my mouth and then his tongue dives in, taking a commanding sweep of me. He pulls back and murmurs, “Trying to steal a sneak peek of what my tongue will be doing to you later?”
I smirk. “Oh God, I hope that’s a promise, Harris.”
“You know it is, Ryan.”
I’m smiling happily as I turn around in his arms to move down the line. He continues holding me from behind as we approach the pod. When I see that the pods don’t stop for us to board, I suddenly get nervous. I stop midstride and Tanner clobbers into me.
“What’s wrong?”
“It doesn’t stop,” I answer, fear prickling my scalp. “I don’t think I can do this. I’m scared of heights.”
“Scared of heights? Why didn’t you say anything?”
“I didn’t know the bloody things don’t stop for us to board! I thought I’d be okay!” This is so not the Tequila Sunrise moment I thought it would be.
He rakes a hand through his hair. “We’ve been in line ages.”
“I’m sorry, all right. Just go without me.” I try to shoo him away.
He scowls. “Don’t be stupid.”
“Don’t be yourself!”
His nostrils flare at my snipe, but I don’t care.
“Fucking hell, come here.” He reaches his hand out toward me.
“No!”
“Just…trust me, all right? Come here.”
His demand is firm but sincere, so I take his hand. We’re ushered up to the pod while Indie and Cam are still too busy smiling like loons at each other to even notice that I’m in the middle of a full-blown panic attack.
“I don’t know what your plan is, but I’m not going on that thing.” My body is stiff as a board.
“Just keep quiet and trust me, woman,” he growls.
