“Will you?” I challenged, dragging her to me again and lowering my lips to hers. She pushed up against me and we were all over each other once more. Her hand slid up the back of my shirt, so mine went up her dress. Our PDA moments today were off the hook. She was clearly as into me as I was to her, so why the hell was I not getting an invitation back to her place? We stayed in our sizzling embrace, making out in the middle of the walkway. I half expected another standingovation.
“I have to go,” she said,winded.
“Okay,” I answered, trying hard to keep the disappointment from my voice. I bent down for one last kiss. If she was leaving, I wanted her tomissme.
“Finn?” She puffed out abreath.
“Yeah?”
“Youcanstay….”
My face brightened. She was inviting me over.Yes.Hallelujah!
“…in my car,” shefinished.
Shit. Fuck.Dammit.
“Your car?” I asked,deflated.
“I know, it’s not what you were hoping for, but I can’t invite you to my room. I’msorry.”
Well, it wasn’t a warm bed and a hot chick, but the car was my best option yet, so I took it. Instead of sharing with her friends, Emma and I took our own Uber back to her place. I was getting the distinct impression that she was trying to keep me separate from whoever was staying at that hotel with her. Did she have some guy back there? I didn’t mind a little healthy competition, and I certainly wasn’t afraid to fight for what I wanted, but the idea of her having someone else on the side really bothered me. Was this someone kissing her like I had? And, more importantly, could he hit the damn hole at the basketball booth and win her the floppy-eareddog?
12
Emma, Present Day: Feeling theChill
“Are you sure about this?”I asked, hitting the unlock button on my car, which emitted a chirpingsignal.
“Between this and a rattlesnake bite?” Finn replied, nodding. “Yeah,I’msure.”
He jogged around to the passenger side and opened the door, not acting the least bit concerned about his comfort, or lack thereof. I had a moment of wavering. How could I make him stay out here when I had a perfectly good couch in my hotel room?And bed.Yeah, that was why. If the last two hours were any indication, there would be no way to keep my hands off him if the two of us ended up in a room alonetogether.
“Check this shit out, Emma. Itlaysflat.”
Finn was busy taking the slow ride up and down on my chair. What was I worrying about? He was more than happy. This guy was as low maintenance as it got. I reached in and set my keys in the ignition, turning it on and holding the buttons down enough to crack all the windows. When I glanced over, Finn was smilingatme.
“You’re cracking the windows like I’madog?”
“It seems like the right thing to do. I don’t know, I don’t usually have guys sleeping in my car,” I said, shutting the door and speaking to him through the slit in thewindow.
“Well, I wouldn’t have to sleep in the car if you invitedmeup.”
“And I wouldn’t have you sleeping in my car if Icouldinviteyouup.”
Finn scrunched his brows. “Whycan’tyou?”
“Um, maybe because you’re a totalstranger?”
“And yet you let this terrifying stranger shove his tongue down your throat all night,” he said,grinning.
I smiled. He had a point, and if him being a stranger was the real reason for my refusal, I’d probably be as confused as he was. But since I was harboring all kinds of other issues, it seemed easiest just to lie. “Goodnight,Finn.”
“Goodnight,Emma.”
As I turned back toward the hotel, I held the car keys over my shoulder and clicked the alarmbuttonon.
“Wait – are you lockingmein?”
