by Kirk, Cindy
She’d envisioned their sitting in the back row with their bags of popcorn, laughing and talking. Even though she’d been painfully shy, in her dream she’d been extremely witty. By the time the movie started, he’d put his arm around the back of her seat and she’d lean close....
“Earth to Adrianna.”
She jerked her thoughts back to the present and found Tripp gazing at her, a tiny smile pulling at his lips. “Popcorn?”
Adrianna nodded. “I’d love to share yours.”
“What about a soda?”
Ugh. She rarely drank the stuff, but tonight, hearing the word from his lips, it sounded so tempting. “Just a sip of yours will be enough for me.”
Even though he didn’t look shocked, she realized seconds too late what she’d done. She’d made the assumption that he would want to share his drink with her. How unsanitary.
“We can see if they will give us an extra cup,” she said hurriedly, following him to the concession line. “I didn’t mean to imply that you would want to drink after me.”
He shifted his entire body toward her and that devastating smile was once again directed at her. His gaze dropped to her lips. “I don’t mind drinking after you. After all, it’s not as if we haven’t already—”
“What can I get you, sir?” The high school–aged girl behind the counter asked.
“Your popcorn-and-soda special, please.” Tripp pulled some bills from his pocket.
This time Adrianna didn’t protest but merely added it to the tally she was keeping in her head.
“Where do you want to sit?” he asked when they entered the darkened theater. “Toward the front? Or back?”
“I like the back row,” she said with uncharacteristic boldness. Hey, even if this wasn’t a replay of that long-ago dream, at least she’d be sharing popcorn with Tripp Randall in the back of a theater. Now if she could only manage to utter a few witty comments...
“Sounds good to me.” He stepped aside to let her enter the empty row.
She moved all the way to the center, settling into the soft red cushioned seat while breathing in the clean, fresh scent of Tripp and his yummy cologne.
Not yummy, she told herself immediately—musky. Yummy implied she wanted to eat him up, while really the only thing she wanted to eat was the popcorn.
Yeah, right.
The trailers for upcoming movies hadn’t yet started, so there was plenty of time for witty conversation and pithy one-liners. The trouble was, with her bare arm brushing Tripp’s she was finding it difficult to think.
Perhaps she shouldn’t have worn a dress tonight, especially the sleeveless one she’d chosen. She’d picked it because she liked the spice color and she had a tan open-knit cardigan that could easily be added if the night turned cool.
Now, sitting beside Tripp, she was very aware of how much skin was exposed. Each time he glanced her way, little rushes of heat flashed over her exposed flesh.
Tripp extended the bag of popcorn to her.
She shook her head. “In a minute.”
He lifted a kernel and held it out. “At least try a bite. Then we’ll both have popcorn breath.”
She had to laugh. Instead of reaching out and plucking the kernel from his fingertips, Adrianna opened her mouth.
His eyes widened a fraction before turning dark. He leaned close.
When her lips closed over the kernel, they caught a bit of his fingers and heat shot straight to her belly.
She savored the kernel, reveling in the rich taste of the butter and the bite of the salt...and remembered how his fingers had tasted in her mouth.
By the time the theater darkened and the trailers began, she couldn’t have said what they’d discussed. She’d made him laugh—she knew that. He’d made her laugh, too. It was the kind of laugh that alluded to the tension building in the air between them. A kind of anticipatory heightened awareness that caused her pulse points to thrum and her body to stand ready on high alert.
Perhaps it was only her imagination but a couple of times when Tripp looked at her, she felt as if he was finally seeing her. Not as Gayle’s friend, not as a medical professional, but as a woman. From the heat in his eyes, he liked what he saw.
They were watching the last trailer when the words that had been poised on Adrianna’s lips since they’d first taken their seats slipped out.
“I used to have this fantasy about being kissed in a movie theater,” she heard herself confide.
For a second, Tripp’s sharp intake of breath was his only response. Then he handed her the cup of soda. “Have a sip.”
Even though she wasn’t at all thirsty, Adrianna took the cup. She told herself to be relieved he’d chosen to ignore her inappropriate comment. As she took a bigger-than-planned sip of the cola, she acknowledged it wasn’t relief coursing through her veins but disappointment.
His eyes remained firmly focused on her as she drank, then handed the cup back to him. Never wavering in his gaze, he took a sip, then set the popcorn and soda aside.
“When I watched your lips against that straw, all I could think about was how much I wanted to feel them pressed against my mouth.”
Adrianna blinked. Had she just hallucinated? Or had Tripp Randall actually said he wanted to kiss her?
“What’s stopping you?” she said softly.
The words had barely left her lips when he pulled her close and his mouth closed over hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck and drank him in. Unprepared for the intensity of the heat engulfing her, only the sound of the movie’s theme music starting and a distant titter of laughter kept Adrianna from crawling over the seat divider and into his lap.
When the kiss ended, she was breathing hard as if she’d just run a long race. She was grateful for the darkness, relieved they were in the back row and that no one had noticed their inappropriate behavior.
Tripp gave a halfhearted laugh. “For a second I felt as if I was sixteen again.”
His eyes glittered in the darkness and testosterone wafted off him in waves. He may have recognized the necessity of stopping but it made her feel good to know he hadn’t wanted to pull back any more than she did.
“Thank you,” she said.
A puzzled look crossed his face. “For what?”
“I’d always wanted to kiss a boy in the back of the movie theater.” She forced a light tone, making it sound as if it didn’t matter which boy—er, man—she kissed. The truth was, it mattered. “Now I have.”
Even though the movie had begun, he didn’t look at the screen and neither did she. There was a sense of waiting in the air.
“Always happy to further your education,” he said in a low tone.
Adrianna felt her cheeks warm even as she waved a dismissive hand. “It isn’t as if there are that many things I missed out on. Though, I never did make out with a boy in a car either.”
Eek. Why not just issue him a formal invitation? One that said, “Your presence is requested in the backseat on a deserted dirt road”?
A spark flashed in his eyes. “Really?”
Too late, she turned her attention back to the screen and pretended to be interested in the movie. “Not important.”
He leaned close, his voice low enough for her ears only. “I think it is. You missed out on a vital part of a teenage girl’s education.”
“Forget I said anything.” She resisted the urge to turn her head, knowing his mouth would be right there.
“I’ll try.” He rested his arm on the back of her seat. “But I can’t promise anything.”
* * *
For being a romantic comedy, the movie was fairly good. But Tripp found it difficult to concentrate. He blamed it on the fact that they were sitting in the back row. Every red-blooded American male knew there was only one reason to sit in the back of a theater, and it wasn’t to watch the show.
Being in the last row surrounded by empty seats was a unique experience. Even though the ones down front and partway back were filled, there were at lea
st seven empty rows in front of them.
It wasn’t simply the fact that he was sitting alone in a dark room with a pretty woman at his side. He’d gone to plenty of management conferences and had sat next to many attractive females. He’d never felt the urge to kiss any of them senseless.
There was something about Adrianna that pulled him in. Sure, she was one of the most beautiful women he’d ever known. But it was more than that. She was just as beautiful on the inside. There was also an innocence, a sweetness about her that brought out his protective instincts.
Protective instincts? His lips curved upward in a slight smile as he tried to make himself focus on the movie. Protective wasn’t the word for how he felt as he inhaled the sultry scent of her lotion.
The skin of her shoulder was warm and soft beneath his fingertips. He couldn’t help but wonder if the rest of her would be equally soft. The instant his mind leaped to the image of her naked beneath him, he forced it away.
Okay, maybe he lingered on the image for a second or two but that was all. A full-blown sexual relationship between him and Adrianna would only complicate their friendship. Even though Tripp knew there was no future in such intimacy, he couldn’t help wishing things could be different.
A little kissing in a car, well, that wasn’t quite the same thing as getting naked. Lots of friends kissed. Although, at the moment, Tripp couldn’t think of any women friends that he’d kissed. He felt certain—or at least fairly certain—that it happened a lot.
Adrianna chuckled.
He quickly slanted a glance in her direction but her eyes were on the screen. At least one of them could say they’d actually watched the show.
All Tripp could think about was how she’d specifically mentioned the fact that she’d never parked with a guy. He felt honored that she’d trusted him with that unfulfilled desire.
After all, if she’d have told Winn about this particular desire, there was no doubt in Tripp’s mind that Winn would have been all over her. Tripp clenched his teeth together.
Winn had no subtlety, no finesse. If that man took Adrianna parking, he’d ruin her fantasy.
Tripp, on the other hand, would know just how to make it a memorable experience for her.
His lips lifted in a smile. Yep, he’d make it good for her. Something told him it would be a night neither of them would soon forget.
* * *
“Where would you like me to take you?” Tripp said, after they’d exited the theater and stepped out onto the sidewalk.
Adrianna jerked her attention to him. “Take me?”
His smile was boyish and went straight to her heart. “Would you like some dessert? Or a drink? Or...”
His voice trailed off and her heart skipped a beat.
It would really be simplest to choose a glass of wine or perhaps a bite of tiramisu. But Adrianna had always had a curious streak and she couldn’t help but wonder what was behind door number three.
Don’t ask, the voice of reason in her head whispered. Do. Not. Ask.
Several people smiled at Tripp and stopped to talk. She wondered what they thought about seeing the CEO of their hospital dressed in faded blue jeans and a twill shirt. Personally she thought he looked—because she’d permanently barred the word yummy from her vocabulary, she substituted—very handsome.
The casual conversation they’d engaged in should have made it easier to pick door one or door two. Instead, a curious humming filled her body and she felt almost as if she was a race-car driver positioned in the starting gate with engine revving.
“Finally,” Tripp said in a low tone when the last person had walked away. “What would you like to do?”
“I’d like to know what’s behind door number three.”
A confused frown wrinkled his brow and she bit back a groan.
“I mean the third alternative,” she hastily explained. “You gave me the choice between dessert, a drink, but then we were interrupted when you were going to give me the third alternative.”
While that wasn’t quite accurate, it was close enough to the truth.
He took her arm and pulled her to the side of the building. “I’m not sure if what I’m about to suggest is appropriate.”
“Who cares?” Adrianna said in a flippant tone. “Say it anyway.”
He trailed a finger up her bare arm. “We could use the rest of this evening to further your education.”
Adrianna licked her lips. “What exactly did you have in mind?”
“Well—” he took a step closer, although there was hardly any room between them now “—you were already kissed in the back row of a movie theater, so you’ve had that experience. But you’ve never gone parking. We could get that crossed off your to-do list tonight if you’re interested.”
Interested? No, of course she wasn’t interested.
“Sure,” she heard herself say. “But we have our reputations to think about. We can’t be parking and have the sheriff drive up. We’d probably end up on the front page of the newspaper.”
“Good point,” he said and her heart sank.
He rubbed his chin. “It’s not an insurmountable issue.”
“You have a solution?” She couldn’t keep the eagerness from her tone.
“My father owns a whole lot of land. Land that contains various places a truck could park. The sheriff doesn’t patrol there.”
Adrianna forced a casual tone. “It’s a nice night for a drive.”
“That, too.” His gaze searched her eyes. “Only if you’re interested.”
“I’ve always felt that I missed something important by not, uh, engaging in typical teenage rites of passage.” Adrianna waved a casual hand, hoping he’d think her burning cheeks were from too much makeup. “So yes, I’m interested. Unless you think we’re making a mistake.”
He grinned. “Let’s do it anyway.”
Chapter Twelve
If someone had asked Adrianna exactly where she and Tripp were headed on that clear star-filled night in September, she would have admitted she didn’t have a clue.
Tripp kept the conversation light on their way out of town. They’d driven for about fifteen minutes when he turned off the highway in the direction of his parents’ ranch. Instead of taking the lane leading to the house, he chose a side road she’d never noticed before.
Darkness surrounded them, creating an air of intimacy in the cab that Adrianna found both comforting and terrifying. “It sure is dark out here.”
“I like it.” A tiny smile played on the edges of Tripp’s lips. “Other than my family, this feeling of being part of the land is what I missed most when I was gone.”
“You’re happy you came back.” It was a statement, not a question.
“From the moment I left, I couldn’t wait to return.” He paused. “But life isn’t always about what just one person wants.”
Even though he didn’t mention Gayle’s name, Adrianna knew that was whom he’d meant. Her friend had discovered she loved big-city life and would have never willingly moved back to Jackson Hole.
“How about you?” he asked. “Are you happy here?”
Adrianna tried to relax against the back of the seat and not think of the reason they were making this late-night drive on a dark, deserted road. Not because she was dreading what she assumed would occur once the truck came to a stop, but because anticipation held her body in a fever grip.
“Very happy.” Adrianna smiled. “To me, Jackson Hole is the most beautiful place on earth. I can’t imagine living anywhere else.”
Suddenly, unexpectedly, the truck pulled to a stop. Tripp cut the lights and complete darkness closed in around them.
The only sounds in the car were her rapid breaths. Tripp didn’t respond to her comment, which told her the time for conversation was over.
There was no reason to be apprehensive, she told herself. After all, it wasn’t as if she was some naive schoolgirl. “Because this is meant to be an educational experience, perhaps you could tell me what usually
happens?”
“It varies,” Tripp said, sounding surprisingly serious. “That’s something we should discuss.”
“Is there usually a formal discussion prior to the...kissing?” Even though she’d asked the question, Adrianna couldn’t imagine two high school students having any sort of heavy-duty discussion. A nervous laugh escaped her lips. “I’m sorry. That was a stupid question.”
“A discussion usually isn’t necessary.” Tripp gazed at her across the darkened interior. “When you’re dating someone, you have a good idea of how far they’re willing—or wanting—to go. The guy should respect those boundaries.”
Adrianna gazed out the windshield at a sky filled with stars. There was an underlying question beneath his words that she had to address. “Well, we’re definitely not going all the way.”
Thankfully, he didn’t act shocked by her bluntness. “Which is a good thing, because I don’t have any condoms with me.”
Adrianna inhaled sharply. The way he’d said it made it sound as if intercourse would have been an option otherwise.
“Kissing is on the table,” he said.
She nodded.
“French-kissing?”
Could this get any more embarrassing? Adrianna kept her gaze focused on the stars, her heart fluttering. “That would be okay, too.”
“How much further are you willing to go?”
Adrianna took a deep breath, her mind racing. She should shut this discussion down right now. Tell him that she’d made a mistake; that while she appreciated his going along with her fantasy, it was best that they head back into town.
But when she met his gaze and saw him looking at her with those eyes filled with desire, she couldn’t resist the chance to know what making out with Tripp Randall would be like.
“I think we should simply decide at the time.” There, that seemed to be a civilized response.
“Sounds like a rational approach.” His fingers played with her hair.
“It’ll probably be over pretty quickly anyway.”
Surprise skittered across his face. “What makes you say that?”