“Nicola—”
“Cash, look.” She closed her eyes and pretended what was in her head was safe to say. “It’s dangerous to want somebody as much as I want you.” She took a deep breath, not believing she’d said that aloud. “And it’s scary that I’ve never kept anything from you except how I felt about us, and I don’t want to keep that hidden away anymore. But I don’t want to ruin, ya know, everything.”
Cash was silent. Not the greatest response.
She bit her lip. “Yesterday… That was… But today, tonight. Cash, I don’t know.”
“What don’t you know, Nic? Cause yesterday, you knew what I knew.”
“And that is?”
“That tonight you’re falling asleep in my arms. Waking up the same place too.”
He stole her breath. “Cash.”
“Stop saying my name, and get over here. Or I’ll come get you, your choice. Make it fast. I already have my keys in hand.”
“I’m coming.” It was like all she’d needed was to hear him say that. She was up and on her feet, slipping on the wedges and walking out the bedroom door. Phone still pressed to her ear, she shouted to Brandy and Hannah and left. She could drive, but then her car would be there.
Cash didn’t say a word, but she could tell he was still on the line. He was only one block away, but the wedges weren’t the greatest idea.
“You walking over?”
“Yes.”
“You want me to pick you up?”
“No.” There was his place. Nothing would stop her now.
“I’d be there in a second.”
“Too late, I’m here.” She knocked on the door instead of barging in as usual.
He cracked it open, slowly dropping his phone into his pocket. She put hers in her purse, positive her hands were trembling while he looked all easy going.
“Knocking now, huh?” He winked. Cash was barefoot, wearing khaki shorts and a shirt that hugged every muscle in his chest. “You should come in. The neighbors might be scandalized.”
“Jokes.” She walked into the cool air. A million times, she’d walked into his place, but suddenly she had no idea where to go. The air crackled, heavy and slowing her thoughts. She turned, and her whole body felt awkward.
“Want to eat something?” He walked past her toward the kitchen.
She trailed the familiar path. “You want to eat?”
At the fridge, he turned around. “What, you thought I’d jump you the second you walked through my door?”
“You’re not going to?”
He dropped his head, rubbed his neck, then looked at her. “Not when you’re over there looking as if you’ve never seen me before.”
Well, that’s how she felt: unsure, unsteady, absurd. She knew that. But still. “I’m sorry.”
“Sorry?”
“I don’t know what to do or what to think.” She also didn’t know when to shut up because someone needed to stuff her wedges down her throat. This was bordering on embarrassing.
“Maybe I wasn’t clear before.” He took a step closer. “I want you. I want to kiss you. Want to tear that skirt off your sweet body.” Another step closer, and he was right on her. “I want to hear you moan, and I want to watch your face.”
She couldn’t breathe, but her whole body flushed. As he leaned in closer, almost kissing her, that comfortable this-is-all-right warmth hugged her. She nodded. He nodded too, his lips brushing hers, his hands finding her waist and pulling her into his embrace.
Cash didn’t kiss her, but he didn’t take his lips away. “I want you.”
She nodded.
Stepping back, he took her hand in his. “Come on, let’s go.”
“What? Where?”
“We’re going out to dinner.”
She shook her head. “No—”
“You would’ve gone to dinner with me a week ago, even two days ago. No one will know the difference. Come on. I’m starved.”
“But… Um, okay.”
He pulled her close again, wrapped his other hand around her back. “Um, okay? Not-uh. Go out on a date with me. Have dinner with me. And at the end of the night, come home with me. Say, ‘yes, I want to,’ even if you’re going to make a big deal out of hiding it from Roman.”
“You don’t think I want to?”
He smiled. “I’m not sure you know what you want.”
Her neck and cheeks heated. “Nobody in the world has ever said no to you. Why do you think I would?”
“I don’t care about anyone in the world, nor am I asking them out to dinner.”
“Then why are you?”
“Christ, Nicola. It’s you. I want you. I’ve wanted you for as long as I could remember. I like you. You think I would’ve kissed you if I wasn’t one hundred percent sure? You think wanting to have dinner with you is some pain in the ass I’ve suffered through over the years, every time I had a meal with you?”
She bit her lip.
“I’m about to drop some very heavy shit on you, so brace yourself.” His lazy grin kicked up on one side. “You braced?”
Nope, just about the furthest thing from it, actually. “Lay it on me.”
“You sure you can handle it?”
She smacked his chest. “Stop it.”
He caught her hand and brought her knuckles to his lips. “I’ve been chasing you since before I knew what chasing a girl meant.”
An instant flash of heat tore through her, but she couldn’t stop smiling. “Ha.”
“I’m going to change clothes, then let’s go.”
He stationed her on the couch and was in and out of his room, jeans and a t-shirt on within seconds. “Dinner with my secret girlfriend.”
Girlfriend? “Now I’m going to call you out on that.” But she followed him.
“What?” He snagged his keys off the counter.
“Girlfriend.”
His eyes danced when he chuckled. “Oh, scary word.”
“You don’t do girlfriends. That I know.”
“I never had you.”
“Now there’s a Cash Garrison line.”
“I’m going to forget you said that.” He walked them out the door and locked it. “Want to duck and hide behind the bushes? Maybe we could barrel roll to the truck like ninjas. No one would see us then. Might mess up your skirt though.”
She rolled her eyes. “Don’t forget, I’ve known you my whole life.”
“Then you somehow missed the fact that I’ve never chased any other girl. Ever.” They were at his truck, and he clicked it unlocked, opening her door. In a second, he had her lifted up and in her seat, her legs dangling out the side and his torso pressed up against her knees.
“You don’t have to chase me.”
“Kinda like it though. You’re fun.”
“Well, you caught me, so you’re going to stop?” Please don’t stop. She’d be heartbroken beyond repair.
“Not on your life, sweetheart.” He pressed a kiss to her lips, then backed away, throwing his hands in the air. “I know, I know. The neighbors might tell Roman.” Winking, he shut her door and jogged to the driver’s side, joining her inside.
“And Roman would be pissed.”
“Wouldn’t be the first time. Won’t be the last time.” Cash started the truck and pulled out of his space. “That’s how he and I are. You know that. Anyway, where we going? Seafood, Italian?”
“Shouldn’t you have all that planned if this is our first date?”
He stopped the truck and looked at her, eyes narrowed, a tickle of a smile crossing his face. “You know what? You’re right.” He put the truck in reverse, pulled back into his spot, and threw it in park. “Give me five.”
“What?”
He leaned over and kissed her. “Go with it.”
“This is getting easier. Once I got past my nerves.” She sighed against his mouth, wrapped her arms around his neck, and let him all but drag her into his seat.
“This?”
“Us.”
&n
bsp; His tongue teased her neck. “Us.”
Her heart pounded, and her skirt wasn’t covering much as his hand smoothed up her thigh. “We’re never going to make it to dinner.”
“To our first date,” he corrected and put her back in her seat. With a long look, he jumped out with a lazy grin on his face. Whatever he had up his sleeve, he was excited about it, and she couldn’t wait.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Nicola watched Cash walk out his door with a duffel bag thrown over his shoulder. He tossed it onto the bed of the truck and jumped back into the driver’s seat.
“What’s that?” She nodded over her shoulder.
“A date-in-a-bag.” He turned a corner.
Oh, because that made sense. She peered out the back window. “Doesn’t look like much, just so you know.”
He flipped the radio on, blasting music as he pulled onto the highway. “I don’t look like much, but you seem to like me just fine.”
Ha. Cash was sun-bleached tan with a perma-trail of girls following him around campus. Liking him just fine was like her saying she was just okay with breathing.
“Where we going?” she asked as they passed exit sign after exit sign.
“Out.” His smile toyed with her as he hit the gas pedal, rushing them somewhere faster than before. But every logical location was passing.
They’d blown by dozens of mile markers. Not like their college town was bustling, but they’d gone from signs of life to rolling hills and bad cell coverage. “Out where?”
“Come here.” He pulled her under his arm, smelling like soap and making her dizzy with want. “We’re headed to the sticks.”
“The sticks? That doesn’t sound very date-ish.”
He touched his chin to the top of her head as she nestled against him. “But it does sound very you and me.”
He exited off the highway onto a Podunk ramp with nothing listed on the sign other than a state route number. No restaurants, not even a gas station, so he wasn’t kidding about the sticks.
The truck slowed as he ambled down some back country road, and she scooted from under his arm to the door and hit the window button. It rolled down as songs played on the radio about summertime nights and falling in love.
With one arm tossed over the steering wheel, he pressed his lips to her temple, squeezing her close. “You good?”
Her hair blew around her face, tickling her cheeks. “Yes.” She was better than good. What was the word for that?
He pushed his window button too and cranked the radio another notch. Cruising under his arm, check that one off a bucket list she hadn’t even known she had.
They cut from the state road and passed through an open gate that interrupted what looked like miles of split-rail fence. The sky was purpley-orange with splashes of red.
“Do you have a secret hideaway I didn’t know about? I thought I knew everything about you.”
He chuckled. “A friend of a friend owns the land. River’s up ahead. Good place for a trip with the guys or…”
“Or?” Or what? All alone in the middle of nowhere, a million ideas popped to her mind.
He didn’t answer and pulled off the rough road onto a gravel path. The truck bumbled and bounced back and forth. The sweet smell of grass and a summer’s early night air floated into the truck. The river was ahead, and he pulled over toward a rough mowed area. “Or to hang with you for the night. No roommates, no cell service. Nothing but you and me.”
Her stomach flipped. “And here I thought we were going to get dinner.”
His perfect smile grew as he shifted into park. “We are. Come on.”
There was no way in the world she was fishing. If he wanted to do that, he could’ve gone with Roman. Maybe she’d spent too much time being one of the guys. Maybe he thought she wanted to go hunt down her dinner and haul it back to town. Maybe he had lost his damn mind because dinner didn’t look like it existed out here, but—her gaze swept—it was the most beautiful place she’d ever seen.
Rolling hills, a slip of sunlight that was rapidly disappearing, and the now giant moon hung low in the dark sky.
He opened his door, and in one smooth move, hooked his hand around her hip and pulled her out his side. She toddled in her wedges over the uneven grass, holding his hand. It was the second time today those shoes hadn’t worked. They were cute, but that didn’t matter much.
He popped the tailgate open, and she eyed the bag.
“Dinner’s in there?”
“Are you doubting me?” With a quick lift, he put her on the tailgate. All this manhandling, picking her up, putting her down… it made her cheeks hurt from trying to hide the smile. It was like she had given him the green light the other day, and all their just-for-friends touching and toying had morphed into some kind of alpha-possessive hold that made her feel wanted.
Cash jumped into the bed and grabbed the bag, jumped off the truck, and bounded away. “Stay put.”
“Leaving me to fend for myself?” She sat on her hands, watching his broad shoulders disappear into the dark.
“Hang tight, impatient.”
Well, yeah, impatient. Sitting lonesome on his tailgate wasn’t what she’d expected, and curiosity was killing her. All the waiting made her want to chase after him, hang in his arms, and let him hold her, kiss her, and everything else he promised, all night long.
Make you moan.
Her stomach dropped, and heat bloomed deep down.
There was a sudden burst of light in the dark distance, and Cash was illuminated by a roaring fire. Whoa, he’d made her a campfire. Grinning and kicking her legs back and forth, she watched him come back. Her shoes hung off her toes, and she kicked them off when he was a few feet away. Cash sidled up to her, pressing between her knees, and she hitched her legs around his hips.
“Your dinner awaits.” An earthy campfire smell clung to him. He kissed her lips, tasting sweet like candy. Cash pulled her against his chest, lifted her off the truck, barely taking his mouth from hers.
His large hands cupped the back of her thighs, and she bear hugged him, locking her ankles behind him. He walked them toward the fire. Overhead, a million billion crystals shone in the sky.
He set her down on a blanket. “S’mores.”
Her mouth gaped. For a second, she could’ve sworn there was a smidge of apprehension in his voice. Something in his eyes flickered like maybe he didn’t know her at all, like he thought maybe she wanted a typical first-date-in-a-box. Dinner, movie, make out. But she didn’t, and s’mores were her favorite.
“You had s’mores stuff at your house?”
He shrugged. “Well, yeah. I told you a month ago, or whenever, we’d make ‘em. You said you wanted s’mores. I said okay.”
“I can’t believe you remembered.”
“Ouch.” Teasing, he reached for her hand and fake-grabbed his heart. “Not gonna lie, Nic. It hurts that you think I wouldn’t.”
“Ha. Liar.”
He laughed. “Maybe. But no shit, you said you wanted s’mores, I bought s’mores stuff.”
For the next fifteen minutes, she caught marshmallows on fire and handed off flaming balls of sugar. He blew them out, made her chocolate sandwiches, and she finished every one, licking the stickiness off her fingers.
When the last one was gone and her hands were wiped clean, he bagged all their trash and sat down next to her. “I gotta tell you something.”
“Tell me what.”
“I’m glad I never wasted something as good as a first date on some chick who would poke at a salad over dinner.”
“Wait, what?” He’d never been on a date before? No way.
He pulled her between his legs and whispered into her ear. “Wait what, what?”
That didn’t even make sense, but the words slid down her spine, filling her with a want so intense she bit her bottom lip. Cash trailed his lips down her earlobe and neck. She’d relaxed so much she’d forgotten she was nervous. She’d completely forgotten that she was vanilla t
o his usual banana split. Until that moment. Nerves skyrocketing again, she tried to remember where her mind had been. “What’d you say about a first date?”
“Never had one before.” He kissed the spot where her neck turned into her shoulder, letting his tongue slide softly.
And there she went, her world clouded again, and want replaced nerves. “I don’t believe you.” She dropped her head back against his chest, giving him all the access he wanted. “But if you say so.”
His hand roamed over her stomach, smoothing back and forth on top of her t-shirt. Such a tease, so experienced, so insanely aware of what he was doing to her, and all she could do was exist in the moment, back pressed against his chest, legs straight ahead, and skirt riding up her thighs.
“You don’t have to believe me. You’re the experienced one with first dates. And I hate every guy who’s ever laid eyes on you.” His hand dipped under her t-shirt swirling circles around her belly button. “As first dates go, how am I doing?”
She nodded. “Good.”
“Just good?” He sighed against her skin then kissed. “That sounds generic, and here I thought I was being original.”
Giggling, she nodded. “Great. Amazingly well. That better?”
“Getting there. I’m going for memorable.”
Damn, he kept stealing her heart. “Memorable. We’re there.”
“Good.” He bit on her neck. “’Cause I’d hate to be just another guy.”
She shook her head without thinking. “No other guy could compare.”
“Good answer.” Cash toyed with the top of her skirt, rubbing his hands over the fabric, over her hips, pressing her back against the erection evident through his jeans.
Her stomach fluttered, and her mind spun. “Not much to compare to anyway.”
“Guess Roman and I did a decent job at keeping the wolves at bay.”
She nodded, noticing how breathy she felt. “Guess you did. You didn’t have to though. Nothing was ever that serious, and no one ever stuck around that long.”
“Sure as shit not for them trying,” he grumbled.
She giggled nervously. “True.” Her heart had never given anyone but Cash a chance. “I never had the same thing in mind that they did. I guess I can’t blame them. Wanting something physical when I wanted…” You.
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