“Easy as breathing.” He smirks before hopping out of the truck, “Stay here. It’s a little chilly, let me get everything set up, then you can join me in the back.”
A few moments later my door is opened, and Collins is helping me out of the truck. He leads me around the back, where pillows and blankets line the plastic bed. An assortment of popcorn, sour and sweet snacks, and waters sit in what I like to call a snackle box.
“Collins, this is perfect.”
“You deserve nothing but the best, Harls.” His voice is closer than I expected, and then his arms are wrapped around me from behind as I take in the area he’s set up for us. “Let’s get you in there.”
His hands move to my waist, easily lifting me into the bed of the truck, and I scoot toward the back, as he follows behind me.
“What else do you think is missing to pull this off?” I ask, pulling a sour candy from the box and sticking it into my mouth. My mouth twists up from the punch of the sour treat almost immediately.
He doesn’t speak for a moment, then says, “Sure, we have platonic cuddles and have slept in the same bed, but we’ve never kissed Harls. You know our friends won’t buy it if we aren’t affectionate with each other. They haven’t seen either of us with partners in a while.”
I wonder if the same thoughts I’m having cross his mind. Hoping that he suggests we kiss partially because it’s true and partially because he’s as desperate to feel my lips on his as I am his.
“Let’s kiss then, get the first one out of the way,” I say boldly.
A groan sounds deep in Collins’ throat before his body turns toward mine.
“Fuck it.” He mutters before his hands bracket my face, and he leans toward me. Without hesitation, I find myself leaning into him as well. Our lips meet, Collins’ thumb gently caressing my cheek as our lips move softly together for a moment. I find myself relaxing into his touch, sighing into his mouth, andwanting to push this kiss further. I don’t get the opportunity because he pulls away, eyes glossed over and breathing just as heavy as mine.
“I don’t think doing that regularly will be a problem.” I try to laugh it off, but the way my body still feels like it’s been lit on fire from that brief interaction makes my laugh waver.
“Agreed.” He breathes, clearing his throat before shifting his body back toward the screen and pulling me into his side.
We spend the rest of the movie cuddled up like this, his strong arm wrapped around my shoulder and my head resting on his. The sounds of Patrick and Kat’s banter and the low hum of vehicle engines filling the night air.
“Did you have fun tonight?” Collins asks as we pull up in front of my apartment building.
“Of course.” I squeeze his hand, which he wrapped around mine as soon as he finished clearing the bed of the truck and started the drive back.
“Me too. Let’s plan for once a week until the trip?” The question hangs in the air for a moment, which means three more dates. Erm… Fake dates. Probably the best ones I’ve ever been on, considering how perfect tonight was.
“That sounds great. Surely, they’ll have to believe it by then, right?”
“I think so,” Collins reassures. “I’ll walk you up.”
“You don’t have to.”
“I know I don’t have to, but I want to.” He adds, “Plus, you know Sin will kill me if she knows I let you walk up in the dark.”
“I guess that’s true.”
When I go to grab my door handle, Collins, exiting the driver’s side, says, “Don’t you dare open that door. We have to break that habit; you should never have been doing that yourself.”
I stop my movements immediately, the assertiveness in Collin’s voice doing something to my body that it definitely shouldn’t be. I don’t have time to ponder it because the passenger door swings open and a hand is extended to assist me out.
The walk up to my apartment is quick, but our goodbye lingers as if the line we crossed earlier tonight is holding us in place. Collins pulls me into him, placing a quick kiss on my lips.
“She’s watching.” He says quietly against my lips.
“Probably. Thank you for tonight.” I whisper back, our lips touching again as I speak.
“Goodnight, Peppermint.” He says, pulling away and waiting for me to go in and lock the door behind me.
“Goodnight, Freckles.”
Chapter 4
