Page 92 of The Book Club Boyfriend

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We sit in silence for a beat.

Then he says, “I think that’s why I don’t usually date. Or… attach, I guess. It’s easier to stay focused when you don’t let anyone close.”

I raise a brow. “Funny. That’s my entire brand.”

He glances over at me. “So what are we doing here, then?”

I look at him. The lights from the food truck are behind us now, and his face is lit only by the moon and stars. His hair’s a little messy. His expression is unreadable.

“I don’t know,” I whisper.

And then he kisses me.

It’s soft at first—hesitant, like he’s giving me a chance to pull away.

I don’t.

His hand finds my jaw, his fingers brush lightly behind my ear, and I lean in instinctively, letting myself feel it. The press of his lips. The warmth of his palm. The way the world fades out, just for a second, until there’s nothing left but this.

Him.

Us.

He deepens the kiss and oh wow, I feel a zing of pleasure course through me.

That’s new.

He tastes like strawberry ice cream, and his tongue is very,verypersuasive. I forget all the reasons why I was opposed to him in the first place. In fact, I forget everything…my name, my zip code, the entire concept of self-control.

When he pulls back, I blink, dazed.

And then he clears his throat and shifts back in his seat.

“Okay,” he says, his voice slightly unsteady. “I better, uh, take you home.”

I stare at him.

“What?” I ask, still breathless. “That’s it?”

He laughs under his breath. “Trust me. If I stay here another minute, I’m going to make that kiss a whole lot more complicated.”

My heart pounds in a way that’s both exhilarating and terrifying.

He stands and offers his hand to help me off the Jeep hood.

I take it.

And I don’t say anything else the whole ride home—because honestly? I’m not sure what just happened either.

But something did.

And I’m not sure I’ll ever be the same.

Harper once bet me I wouldn’t last the summer without falling for Chase Remington. I laughed in her face. And yet… here I am. Lipstick smudged. Heart racing. Sad that our date is over.

What’s happening to me?

Chapter Twenty-Seven

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