I welcomed the rush but held back pouring a second shot too soon, despite the overwhelming urge to use the liquid courage to calm the crossroads I felt creeping into my thoughts.
Lakelyn wasn’t the girl you rushed things with.
She was the one you’d wait an eternity for if it meant being connected on every level that made your heart soar with abundance, and that was what I wanted. What I thought wasn’t possible after closing myself off after my parent’s death, but their love story and love for not only one another but for my sister and me was what I found myself craving now that I’d had a taste of that dream.
I wanted it all.
I wanted Lakelyn, that much I was sure of.
Chapter17
Lakelyn
“Have you ever played, never have I ever?” I asked, feeling overly brave. No thanks, in part to the two back-to-back tequila shots I had.
Boden’s eyebrows nearly shot into his hairline.
“I’m gauging by your expression that’s a negative.”
“Copy that.”
“Hmm . . . this could be fun then, you game?”
“What do you think?”
“I think I like that I will be your first.”
“You don’t play fair.”
“Whatever do you mean?” I playfully batted my eyelashes, entirely at ease with how comfortable I was joking with him.
“What if I said I wanted to be your only?”
“Why, Mr. Miller, are you asking me what I think you’re asking me?” I spun the question back on him.
“What if I was . . . is that something you’re closer to being interested in,” he paused, “one day?”
“I’d say we are still in slightly different chapters, but we are in the same book.” I felt my cheeks blush as I offered him a reassuring smile.
“I can live with that.” He nodded in understanding. After our shots, Boden decided to make a run for it to his truck to collect the cooler with our beverages which resulted in him stripping his wet T-shirt off and me feeling my temperature spike as I ogled his tanned, fit physique and the sleeve of tattoos that made my insides clench. “How do we play?”
I hesitated as there were topics I wasn’t ready to share yet, the main one being why I was in Sutton River, to begin with, and how it was supposed to be temporary.
“We each hold a hand up,” I mimicked my words, “and for every ‘never have I ever’ question asked if we’ve done it, we lower a finger, and for added fun, once either of us lowers all five we take a shot before starting all over again.”
“You sure you can handle that?”
“You just worry about yourself there, big guy.”
“All righty, who starts?”
“I’ll go first; you can follow my lead. Never have I ever pranked someone.”
His chuckle had me smiling, knowing he likely had some good stories to share. “When you’re in the line of work I am, sometimes we need to lighten the mood. So, you’re a prankster too, huh?”
“It’s been a really long time.” I sighed.
“Never have I ever stolen anything.”
