A grin spread across my lips, and I jutted my chin. “How desperate?” Mia’s top lip disappeared into a pressed smile in my hands, and I dropped my arms back, a fucking goner for her. “Come here.” An impulsive plea, but I was utterly defenseless against her criminal smile.
Mia shook her head, lowering it until, finally, her lips clutched on to mine. A pivotal moment erupted, and suddenly, nothing else mattered. My heart skipped inside my ribcage, my lids fluttered close, and every worry detached, floating outside our space. My tongue pushed through her seams, until it stroked hers, back into a merciful slow dance of the two of us. The only strength I had was in my arms, and I pulled her fully on top of me, locked in sweet slow motion. Every small whimper coming from her throat had been fuel, and her tantalizing taste shot missiles packed with fireworks through my bloodstream, breathing me back to life. She sank inside my arms, but I held her together. I always would. “Mia,” I breathed into her mouth, not recognizing my voice. My hand gripped the back of her neck and the other on her hip, pressing firmly against the part that ached to fill her, and to keep me anchored from floating away …
A clearing of a throat sounded, and Mia broke away first to lift her head.
“Ollie,” she whispered, but I was still under the spell from her perpetual lips. She smacked my arm. “We’re in trouble.”
I snaked my arm around her back, sat up, and looked behind me.
Two police officers stood there. Behind them, a family of five.
“Stand up,” one of the men in blue said. “You two are coming with us.”
“Stay calm, love,”Ollie whispered from beside me. “They have nothing to hold us. We weren’t doing anything wrong.”
My arms crossed and uncrossed from around my chest, pacing the length of the cop car. “I can’t keep calm. I have court in a week. What if they arrest us for something stupid like open lewdness or destruction of nature.”
“Destruction of nature? I don’t know what you’re talking about. That kiss was beautiful.”
I snapped my head in his direction. “This is serious, Ollie.”
Ollie’s head was tilted back, facing the sky, and his eyes fell to the side until they met mine.
An unstoppable grin crept along his lips.
My arms crossed again, and my foot tapped on the pavement. “What’s so funny?”
Ollie lifted his shoulder, his smug grin glowing. “You remember when we couldn’t get you back through the vent, and I was terrified you’d get caught in my room? It was the first night after you returned from the looney bin. I was going mad, but you were shockingly calm. It seems like lifetimes ago.”
I smiled, the memory invading my brain and simultaneously turning my worry to ash. “It does.”
Ollie turned his body to face me and drummed his fingers over the top of the police car, his black cap secured back over his head. “It’s going to be fine, all right? Just let me do the talking.”
One of the two officers broke away from conversation off to the side and approached us. He looked to be almost fifty, but fit with salt and pepper hair. “Do you two know why you’re standing here right now?” he asked, pulling his aviators from his eyes and folding them into the pocket of his uniform shirt.
“No,” I said, as Ollie said, “Yes.”
Ollie nudged me in the arm.
The cop crossed his arms. “So, what were you two doing out there?”
“Nothing,” we said in unison, then exchanged glances. If I chanced a look again, Ollie would make me laugh, and this wasn’t funny. We could get arrested.
The cop’s eyes darted between the two of us. “Did you know that open lewdness was grounds for an arrest in the state of Pennsylvania?”
“Yes,” I said when Ollie said, “No.”
The officer laughed, amused by us, and I couldn’t understand why. “Are you two married or something?”
“Engaged,” we said in unison, and I rolled my eyes.
The cop lifted his brow. “Oh, this is great. You two have a long road ahead of you.” The cop lowered the volume of the radio secured to his belt. “Since you’re not from around here,” he pointed at Ollie, “I’m going to let you off with a warning. But next time, try to keep actions that belong in the bedroom, in the bedroom.”
“Thank you, sir.” Ollie exhaled and grabbed my hand. “So, we’re free to go?”
“Yeah, get out of here,” he said through a chuckle.
With our freedom intact, we drove around every curve, dip, incline, and drop on the road, Ollie more confident and braver than before driving on the opposite side of the car. I had no idea where he was taking me and said, don’t count on going back to my dad’s tonight. With the windows down, and cold wind tangling in my hair, Ollie grabbed my hand from the driver side as an Ed Sheeran song played in our ears, a haunting beat tapping my chest. The only thing on our minds was the kiss and what was to come. His lips brushed over my knuckles before he pulled my hand over his thigh.
