"A thrill seeker," he says with a big grin.
I shrug. "I guess so."
I glance around the fairground and see Buddy coming our way. Déjà vu hits me hard and fast as I watch Buddy slip a bill to the Ferris wheel operator. The operator smiles and pulls a lever to stop the wheel, stopping Colton and I at the very top of the ride.
"I'm gonna kill you, Buddy Lawson!" I yell down to him.
Buddy grins up at us and winks. "You two have fun now!"
Colton turns in his seat to look at me, causing the metal car to precariously rock forward and backward. I squeal and grab onto Colton, practically strangling him to death with my vice grip on his neck.
"Easy," he laughs softly, while gently moving my hands from his neck to his waist. I gladly hold onto him, burying my face into his chest. "So, you weren't kiddin' when you said you're afraid of heights," he says sarcastically.
"No. I'm gonna kill Buddy for doing this to us again."
"Again?"
I nod against his muscular chest. He smells divine, like body wash…and Colton, his own unique scent. "Last time we rode this together. He slipped the guy a twenty, and we were forced to stay up here on the top. He knows I hate heights."
"It's not so bad," Colton says. He moves a little, causing the seat to sway again. My hands latch onto him harder. "Look around, Penny. You can see the whole town from up here."
He coaxes my head from his chest, and I carefully and slowly sit up. "Wow," I whisper. Last time I had been too afraid to even look. But now I see why Colton doesn't mind it. The town of Willowbrook is alive and bright below us.
"There's my house," he says, pointing to the right.
"And the bar," I add.
He nods. "Looks different from way up here. Almost seems small and insignificant…even though that's my whole world."
I glance over at him and smile.
"What does it make you think of?"
I sigh contentedly and softly say, "Home." My eyes dart to the ground below us, and I instantly regret my decision. Quickly, I turn my attention back to Colton. "Why doesn't perilously dangling a few hundred feet in a metal box above the earth scare you?"
He considers my question for a moment before saying, "Maybe I like bein' scared."
"Why?" I ask, desperately wanting to hear his answer.
"'Cause it makes you realize how much you wanna be alive." He turns to me. His palm gently cups my cheek, and he drags his thumb along my lower lip. "Did we happen to kiss last time we were up here?"
"I believe you used that tactic to try to distract me."
He smirks. "Well, damn. I guess I had all the right moves back then, too."
And with that, he leans down and presses his soft lips against mine. I'm instantly lost in his kiss and his touch, and I forget all about being scared. It worked like a charm last time as well.
His fingers thread through my hair as he possessively claims my mouth. His tongue plays with the seam of my lips, and I'm quick to part them. His silky tongue darts into my mouth and tangles with mine. My hands seek out his muscular chest, and I grasp his shirt in my hands, pulling him impossibly closer to me.
A man clears his throat loudly, instantly pulling us out of the moment. My eyes widen when I see that the Ferris wheel operator had lowered us down to ground level during our fierce make-out session. I stare past the man and grimace when I see the line of people, who obviously just witnessed the whole show given the judgmental looks on their faces.
Colton quickly raises the bar that had secured us in the seat and takes my hand, pulling me behind him and away from the Ferris wheel. We disappear into the dark behind one of the game booths.
"That was so embarrassing!" I say with a giggle.
Colton traps me in his arms and chuckles. "It was so worth it." He gently tucks a piece of stray hair behind my ear and gazes into my eyes. He looks hungry, like he could eat me alive, and it makes me gasp. I know that look, and it always gave me chills.
He pulls me flush against him and is about to kiss me again when I hear someone calling my name. Growling, Colton lets me go. "This is far from over," he whispers into my ear. "Tonight. You're mine. All mine."
