“You deserved a hell of a lot better from me in high school. I’m man enough to admit that. I failed you. Not just as your friend, but as someone who loves you.”
Hattie’s eyes widen, cheeks turning pink. “You don’t have to apologise,” she replies, shaking her head. “Seriously.”
“I wouldn’t be worthy of you if I didn’t.”
She stops what she’s doing and stares at me with wide eyes, shock clear across her features. For a long moment, she doesn’t say anything, just sits there with her lips parted, hands still cupping her forgotten coffee. My heart crashes painfully in my chest as I wait for her to say something, to tell me I’m not crazy.
That I’m not the only one feeling this way.
Hattie sets her cup down in the cup holder and releases a breath. Without a word, she opens the door and gets out of the truck.
I’m only stunned for a moment before I get out to follow her. She moves to the hood, hands in her hair.
“What’s wrong?” I ask, stopping in front of her. “What did I do?”
She looks at me before shaking her head. “It’s not you, Casper.”
“Bullshit.” I take a step towards her, leaving only a breath of space between us. Her hands fall from her hair to the hood of the truck. “You’ve been weird since the kiss.”
Her eyes flicker to mine, then down to my lips. But she shakes her head. “You don’t need to be dragged into my insecurities, Casper. It’s nothing. Really.”
Why the hell would she be insecure? I drag my eyes over the most stunning woman I have ever known; it’s clear how different she is to the girl I knew in high school. The Hattie I knew a decade ago would only wear jeans and a sweater, never dressing to compliment her figure.
This Hattie is more confident in herself, in the way she dresses. Sure, it might be because of her work. But I noticed the shift in her the moment I saw her. It’d only dimmed around her family.
“You know I see you as the sexiest person I’ve ever met, right?” I tell her, moving so our bodies are flush. “That since I saw you this morning, I’ve been harder than fucking stone, wondering what it would be like to see you in nothing but those damned boots?”
Hattie’s eyes widen, cheeks flushing. “What?”
“Yeah.” I nod once, grabbing her by the hips. “Trust me when I tell you I’ve never wanted anything more. The kiss only made my need for you worse. Since you walked back into my life, I’ve been wondering how I can make you mine. That’s why I want you to stay.”
Slowly, I lower myself to my knees, tilting my face so our eyes remained locked. “And you have no idea how badly I want to see you in just these fucking boots.”
Hattie sucks in a sharp breath, moving her hands to the hood of the truck. “You mean…”
“Naked,” I tell her. “But the boots stay on.”
The colour of her cheeks turns from pink to red immediately. “Casper…”
Slowly, I skim my hands up the leather boots until my fingers hook the top of them where they sit just below her knee. There’smaybe only a couple of inches of skin visible between the boot and her damn skirt. “Part your legs for me. I want to see what’s beneath the leather.”
Hattie visibly shudders. “We’re out in the open.”
“Doesn’t matter,” I reply. “Let them see what a Goddess I have. Let them see me make you come on my face.”
She gasps, but parts her thighs for me like the good girl I know she is. Gravel crunches beneath the heel of her boot as she moves, but the skirt is a restraint that makes it hard for her to go much further.
I growl and move my hands to the skirt. With simple efficiency, I tug it up around her waist, baring her thick thighs to me.
“Casper!” She moves one of her hands to the bunched material, but I grab her fingers before she can pull it down.
“Give me a chance, shortcake. You won’t regret it.”
Hattie tugs her bottom lip between her teeth, eyes darting to the road. For the most part, we’re hidden from the rest of the grounds.
“Just be quiet,” I tell her, moving closer to the apex of her thighs. I can smell her, the headiness of her desire filling my lungs. “Or scream. I want the world to know that you’re mine.”
She shudders again, but she moves her hand back to the truck. “Okay.”
