He comes around to my side of the truck and moves close to me. “I had no idea there would be this many people here,” he observes quietly while looking around at the people streaming into the gates and all the others waiting to get tickets. With the glasses on, it makes him seem younger, and I realize his eyes are what gave his age away. They are so intense.
“Not a fan of crowds?” I ask, partially joking. The club was packed the night I saw him there.
“It seems easy to lose you.” He lowers his head as if he’s looking at me, and his lips are curled in a frown as if he’s actually worried. It’s kind of cute.
“Nah, I won’t run off. Plus, you’re my ride home.” I bump my shoulder into his. “Just in case though, maybe I should have your number?” I want to congratulate myself for asking so smoothly.
He tilts his head to the side, examining me. “Pull out your phone,” he orders after a second. I scramble to do it and make sure it’s unlocked. “What are you going to put it under?” he asks, peering down at my empty contact screen.
“Did you want me to put it under something other than Rafe?”
He licks his bottom lip, and I swear he’s thinking about kissing me, or maybe it’s just me thinking about him kissing me. “I’ll get back to you on that,” he replies cryptically, then tells me his number. He watches me enter the digits, making sure I have them correct.
Just to tease him, I enter ‘I’ll get back to you’ into the name section. Rafe snatches my phone out of my hand and taps on the keyboard. When he hands it back to me, the screen is already dark. With a hand on my lower back, he guides me toward one of the lines to get an entrance ticket
I offer to pay for our tickets, which earns me a dirty look that registers, even though he’s wearing sunglasses. Once we get inside, he looks around. “Where to?”
“Want to just walk around first?” I don’t really have any desire to go into the animal buildings yet, it’s too hot. They’re probably filled with families anyway. Rafe lifts his hand and motions for me to go ahead. The crowd is still pretty heavy, so I turn my shoulders to get through without bumping into anyone. Once I’m clear, I turn around to see Rafe coming through. He doesn’t have to twist and turn, people seem to get out of his way without him even trying.
“You just told me you wouldn’t run off,” he chastises.
“I didn’t.” I chuckle. “You were right behind me.” He makes that grunting sound again. I never knew so much could be conveyed with a single sound. When he reaches over and grabs my hand, it feels natural, easy. I try to suppress my grin, but I’m sure I look like a fool, cheesing from ear to ear. His grasp tightens when we get into a crowd. I’ve learned if I wiggle my fingers a bit, he will loosen up, but it’s a repetitive process.
We pass games and all sorts of rides until we make it to the food section. My mouth waters at all the greasy garbage, but I know eating most of it would end with me having a stomachache. I’m not leaving here without a funnel cake though, even if I have to eat it when I get home.
I tug Rafe over to the lemonade stand and buy the big refillable jug. The first drink is always the best, that’s where all the sugar is, so I offer it to him. I see a crinkle between his brows, so I shake the cup at him. “Don’t tell me you don’t like freshly squeezed lemonade?”
“I’ve never had it.” He pulls his head back a little.
An honest-to-God gasp falls from my lips. “Here, take this.” I push the jug at his chest. He has no option but to accept it. I grab my phone and hit the quick camera icon.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m going to document this moment. You’re going to remember it for the rest of your life, and I will know I’m the one who opened your eyes to the summertime magic. Every time you take a sip, you’re gonna think of me,” I tease, but deep down, I hope there’s a kernel of truth to my words.
Rafe looks at me holding my phone, then glances around as if he’s wondering who else might be watching us. Tentatively, he wraps his lips around the fat straw, and my heart skips a beat. It seems like he’s staring right at me. I wish I would have asked him to take the glasses off.
I snap several pictures and catch the moment when he actually tastes the drink. His brows shoot up and his lips purse as he takes a deep draw. When he pulls the straw away and licks a drop off his lip, I snap a few more pictures. Who can blame me? He looks gorgeous doing it. Thank goodness my flash doesn’t give me away.
“Well?” I ask when he extends it back to me.
“I think you built it up too much. I was expecting more,” he deadpans.
My face falls. “You didn’t like it?” I whisper, feeling way sadder than I should. I wrap my mouth around the straw so I can taste it to make sure it’s good. The perfect mix of sweet and sour hits my tongue, and it’s ice-cold. I couldn’t have asked for a better batch. I look up at him, and his glasses are gone, leaving his pretty gray eyes uncovered. As soon as I pull the jug away, he pushes his mouth against mine in a hard kiss.
I stand motionless amid a sea of people, but my heart flutters in my chest, rushing to catch up with the exhilaration I feel from our first kiss. I soften my mouth under his lips, and my entire body follows the cues of my mouth, waiting to feel him pressed against me. He nips my bottom lip, almost like he’s punishing me for not moving faster or opening my mouth to him, and I purse my lips, finally kissing him back. The noise of the crowd and the whirr of loud machines die until it’s just us.
Rafe pulls away but doesn’t retreat. I open my eyes to see him staring down at me with rapt attention. He’s searching my eyes and face. “Let me guess, didn’t live up to the hype?” I joke, because everything inside me feels way too serious. My head is swirling with thoughts that actually scare me a little.
I’m going to keep him.
Rafe blinks slowly as if he’s trying to process my words, then he grabs the back of my neck, and he’s kissing me again. This time, it’s deeper, rougher. I should be embarrassed he’s kissing me like this at a carnival, but I don’t have it in me to care. I feel icy liquid splash my feet and jerk my head back to look down. The lemonade jug is on the ground and spilling around our feet. “I dropped it,” I say dumbly.
His fingers tighten on the nape of my neck before he releases me. “I’ll get you another.” Rafe’s shoulders are tight when he walks the short distance back to the lemonade stand. The girl blushes when he hands over his money, and I look around for the first time, wondering how many people saw us. No one else seems to be staring, but I bet my cheeks are just as red as hers are.
His glasses are back on when he returns. He takes a quick drink, then hands it to me. “I had much higher expectations of you.” I open my mouth, not sure what to say. Before I can come up with a response, he plants another hard kiss on me. “You more than exceeded them,” he finishes when he pulls back. I bite my bottom lip and look at the ground, feeling almost shy. Yay for firsts.I can’t wait to have many more.
Chapter 13
