‘What’s yours?’ I find myself asking.
‘Mine?’
‘Fear.’ I let my eyes wander around the metal contraption above me. ‘You said everyone is scared of something.’
A small crease appears between his brows as his gaze drops to the floor. He contemplates for a second, Adam’s apple bobbing before he admits, ‘Losing anyone else. Not having the people I love around me anymore. I’ve lost too many. I’ll do anything to make sure I don’t risk that.’
Considering that I’m not sure Duke even tells Wyatt much about his mother or grandfather, I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve his vulnerability. Regardless, he’s given me his, so it’s my turn to give him mine.
‘Okay, let’s do this.’ I try to push all irrational thoughts from my mind as I march past Duke and clamber into the first pod.
My limbs tense up, spine curling, as the pod starts to wobble from my added weight, and again when Duke gets in. I force my eyes closed, focusing on my breathing and trusting Duke to lock up and secure us in. It’s only when I feel his weight settle beside me that my eyes shoot open again, instantly examining the wheel.
‘Shouldn’t you sit on the other side to balance out the weight?’ I ask, legs bobbing. Can’t we have a count down or something so I know when it will start?
‘Hey, look at me.’ Suddenly, Duke’s warm fingers are wrapping around mine where they were fidgeting in my lap, intertwining them until they’re locked together in a bind that feels scarily permanent. Like even if we were freefalling, he’d never let me go. My eyes shoot open tofind his. And then he says, with a squeeze of my hands, ‘I’ve got you, Baby Hensley.’
His words knead out my taut muscles. My surroundings start to blur in my periphery as I focus in on Duke’s dark, tender,unyieldingstare. The same stare I kept catching landing on me at speed-dating last Thursday. I can’t pretend that night, him sitting with me, hasn’t been on my mind ever since. It hit me so hard, like slamming straight into a brick wall, how I’ve never enjoyed talking with a guy as much as I do with him. Or laughed as much. Or had my body flushed with as much heat as when I’m around him.
With Duke, everything I feel seemsmagnetised. And I’m wondering if I’ll ever find that sensation in all these other places I’m searching.
Suddenly, a loud, metal clang vibrates through the wheel as it starts to move, rocking the cab in a way that has me scrunching my toes like I stupidly might be able to hold on tighter through my boots. Nausea bubbles in my stomach as we slowly climb into the air, my legs shaking faster.
‘I’m okay, I’m okay,’ I whisper to myself.
‘What’s a firework kiss?’ Duke asks abruptly. His fingers pulse against mine, dragging my attention back to him.
I breathe out raggedly, ‘What?’
‘A firework kiss.’ I swear his eyes dart down to my lips once, neon lights faintly reflecting in them. ‘It was on your bucket list. I don’t know what it is. Tell me.’
Oh, yes, the last item before the list descends into the most chaotic sexual inventory that only emphasises mylack of sexual experience. Which Duke has regrettably seen.
Why is he asking me about this now? Considering how put off he was when he read that list, and how adamant he was about ensuring I knew him helping me with the bucket list didnotinclude anything sexual.
‘It’s, um … a kiss where you feel fireworks.’
Duke slides slightly closer, tugging on my hands that are still harboured within his. One of his thighs lightly brushes mine, his warmth seeping into my bones. He echoes, ‘Feel fireworks?’
I chuckle, a little exasperated at having to explain this to him. ‘Yeah, like when you, uh, when you kiss them it feels like a thousand fireworks going off inside of you.’
Little does he know sometimes all I need is for him to smile at me to feel that. I can’t imagine the kind of marvellous explosion that would come from the touch of his lips against mine…
‘Hm,’ Duke hums, gaze dropping to my lips again. An orange glow slowly lights up his side, shining against his cheekbones and dancing in his eyes. I’m mesmerised by the way it brings out all the shades of brown in his irises I don’t normally get to see in the dark lighting of the bar. ‘And how does one achieve that exactly?’
My laugh comes out high-pitched. Heat crawls over my skin and up my spine at the way Duke’s still watching my mouth, as if he’s trying to imagine the experience I’ve described. My cheeks flame as I admit, ‘I—I wouldn’t know. That’s why it’s on the bucket list.’
‘You’ve never imagined having one?’
Only with you.
‘Well, sure, but—’
A metal creak sounds and—
‘Tell me what it would be like.’ His rough command makes my back straighten. Fuck, that voice did more to me than I expected.
‘I … I guess it would have to be a long time coming. Something you’ve both been wanting for ages.’
