Page 45 of 1001 Dark Nights: Bundle Forty-Two

“You’re very pretty,” I say softly, finding it hard to jokeabout the effect she’s having on me. “I like you a lot.”

Shit.Why’d I say that?

I’m not good with girls. Like, yeah, they come to me becauseI’m an athlete and they want to say they’ve been with a guy from the team, butthat doesn’t mean I’m that dude who says the right things or knows how toflirt.

Instead of responding to my awkward statement, she staresback at me, blinking long lashes before turning onto her back.

“Look how bright the stars are tonight,” she says, bitingher bottom lip and watching me from the corner of her eye.

I ease down on the blanket beside her, careful not to letany of our body parts touch. I fold my hand under myhead and consider the sky.

“Up here,” I say, “they feel really close and bright.”

“It’s the quarter moon. Less moon, brighter stars. Whenthere’s a lot of moonlight, it hides them. Dims them.”

Over the next hour or so, the noise below grows thinner ascars pull off and the guys leave. I keep holding my breath and stealing glancesat the stairs, like someone will come up here any minute and make us stop, butno one comes, and we keep talking. She has this way of looking at the worldthat feels a lot like mine. She’s filled with subtle ambition, too. Herbrother’s ambition blares in every room he enters, like a trumpet. Her hopesand dreams are quieter, but no less sure. I want to see where this girl will gobecause I think it will be far. Probably beyond my reach. I may only have thesemoments to know her.

It’s a strange night. It feels out of time, like we’ve knowneach other for a century or more and the rhythm of the conversation issomething we’re resuming, not just beginning. Not something that will end. Asit gets chilly, she pulls the corner of the blanket up over her legs, and I dothe same. We’re rolled up, and it pushes us closer together.

“We’re an egg roll.” She giggles.

I love her laugh. Low and breathy or when she’s surprisedinto it, big, chasing away reservations. She gives her whole self to it,throwing back her head and once even slapping her knee. I wish I was funnierand had made her laugh more tonight. I don’t have lines. I enjoy agood conversation—the kind that makes you think about who you are and get toknow someone else. The kind that makes you laugh at yourself and want to makesomeone else laugh over and over because in just a few hours, you’ve grownaddicted to the sound.

I glance at my watch and swallow a curse.

“It’s later than I thought. Coach’llkill me if I’m not ready tomorrow. Even though I’ll probably ride the bench allnight. Cliff’s gonna play every minute he can withall those scouts at the game there to see him, but I gottabe ready.”

“I hope you get some time to play, too.” She frowns. “It’sthe last game of the season. It’s not fair if you don’t get sometime on the court.”

“It doesn’t work like that. Besides, like I said, I maystill get some looks for football.”

“I hope so.” She hesitates, bites down on her bottom lipbefore rushing on. “Maybe you could call me sometime, or…” She shakes her headand blows out a quick breath. “You don’t have to. It’s not like—”

“I will call you,” I cut in. “I don’t know where things areheaded after this year, but we could stay in touch.”

She beams, and that smile outshines the moon and the stars.“Yeah, I’d like that too.”

I can’t leave without…something. I want to touch her, tokiss her, but that might be weird. I’m still trying to figure out what move Ishould make when she makes it for me. She leans over and kisses my cheek. It’sa friendly gesture, but as soon as her mouth touches my skin, the small flickerof heat that has simmered inside ever since I laid eyes on her in that tiny topand those tight jeans roars to full flame. I turn my head, kissing the cornerof her mouth. She stills, her wide eyes searching myface. Without looking away, her tongue darts out to lick my bottom lip. Igroan, cupping her head in my hand, dipping to suck her bottom lip and then thetop. She pushes closer under the blanket, pressing into my chest, straining upto open my lips with hers.

“Takira,” I whisper, sharing a breath with her. “We shouldstop.”

“No.” She shakes her head, kissing my chin and touching mycheekbone. “Kiss me again.”

I can’t resist her, especially not when the lust, the desireI’ve been feeling for her all night is so clearly reciprocated in her eyes, inthe way she touches me. I kiss the fragile line of her collarbone and suck atthe satiny, sweet-smelling skin of her throat. My lips coast up to the smallcleft in her chin. I notch my tongue into that little indentation, and shelaughs, shifting her head to kiss me again.

This time it’s deeper, hotter. My hands wander down to herass. It looked so good in these jeans, but in my hands—God, my dick is so hard.She touches me through my jeans, and I pull away from the kiss to draw in adeep breath.

“Takira,” I pant. “Don’t do that. I won’t be able to…I wantto…”

She places my hand on her chest, looking at me and notbreaking the stare. Her breast is soft and spills over the edges of my hand. Isqueeze, and she moans, her eyes drifting closed as she leans deeper into mypalm. I brush my finger across the nipple, and it goes hard.

“That feels good,” she gasps. “Keep doing it.”

With one hand, I knead her breast. The other hand wandersdown her back, palming her ass, cupping her hip. Turnedon her side, she opens her legs, resting her knee on my thigh and biting myearlobe, then soothing, sucking it into her mouth.

“You can touch me,” she whispers, guiding my hand betweenher legs.

Even through the denim, I can feel that she’s hot there.