Page 14 of The Last Date

“Why?”

Staring across the water at the seagulls doing acrobatics, my mind made spirals as well. “Original art has a life to it that a print or photograph just can’t capture,” I explained, trying to make sense of things I’d thought for years. “It’s like the difference between a can of soda or a bottle of wine. It’s a life force, trapped inside. A captured moment of energy made still.”

I looked down, laughing while shaking my head. “I know that probably sounds completely nuts.”

Oakley stopped, pulling me against him. “It sounds absolutely beautiful,” he murmured. “Just like you.”

Holding my breath, I thought I was going to explode if he didn’t kiss me. He leaned in, but swerved his lips away from mine, kissing up along my cheekbone to my temple.

He chuckled at my tiny sigh. “Is there something you want, angel?”

“You know I do. Why are you teasing me?”

His lips skimmed over the top of my hair. “I want to make sure that all of those boring dates are cleared from your mind. I want to make sure that you’re focused on me.”

I couldn’t even try to stifle my loud laugh. “Trust me, the memories of those dates were gone by the time I got home every Saturday night.”

“I’m going to be your very last date,” he said, cupping my face in his hands as he looked into my eyes. “When the time is right, I’m going to take you on a date that you’ll never forget.”

I paused, with no idea what to say. Finally I blurted, “This isn’t a date? Walking me home?”

He released me, but took my hand as we continued walking. “No. A date is a prearranged meeting. This is a casual hangout. A last minute get together.”

“You are strangely fussy with semantics,” I smiled, loving the sensation of our fingers intertwined.

“And I’m strangely fixated on you,” he confessed, stopping to pull me against him again.

Being so close to his huge, hard body was starting to wreak havoc on my self-control. Sneaking my hands up his chest, over his shoulders to tangle in the back of his hair, I turned my mouth up to his, openly begging.

“There’s nothing free in this world, Sasha,” Oakley smiled. “If you want something, you have to pay for it.”

“What do you want?” I whispered.

His hands caressed my back, holding me close. “I don’t kiss just anyone,” he said gently. “If you kiss me, you’re telling me that you’re my girlfriend, and won’t be seeing any other men, no matter what your mother says.”

I was already nodding. “Okay.”

“You’re saying that you want to be my girlfriend? You want to be all mine?”

I nodded, stretching up slightly until our lips were only an inch apart.

“There’s a lesson to be learned here, angel,” he murmured. “I have a bit more life experience than you do. So you’ll have to trust me on some things.”

“Okay,” I breathed. “Anything.”

His warm hands stroked my back. My heaving breaths brushed our chests together. “If you really want something in this world, you have to take it,” he said. He stood completely still, waiting.

I didn’t care about his games or demands. All I knew was that if we didn’t kiss immediately, I might pass ou

t.

Stretching up, my fingers clasped the back of his neck as I pressed my lips to his.

He remained perfectly motionless for a few seconds, our mouths not moving. Then it felt like an animal inside him had been let loose.

CHAPTER SIX

* Oakley *

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