Page 9
We sat in a bright fluorescent booth, sharing biscuits in gravy and talking over each other.
We came close to being the loudest table in the place, drawing glares from a trucker two booths down, but we didn’t care, unable to get enough of each other.
‘I don’t want to go home yet,’ I declared after Deacon drove to another beach, this one deserted and stunning under moonlight.
‘Me neither,’ he said.
We climbed into the back tray of his open truck.
He laid down blankets, and we lay down on them, pulling one more over us.
Entwined, we stared at the diamond-studded skies, gazing up in wonder at the magnificent expanse.
At one point, when I shifted, he slid a finger under my chin and then kissed me, not on my lips but on the outer edge of each eye.
‘What was that about?’ I whispered.
‘You’ve got the stars in your eyes, and I want to come as close as I can to heaven, with you.’
I sat up and nailed him with a semi-stern look.
‘You ought to know I’m immune to sweet-talking and borderline cheesy lines, Vega. I bet you get away with it because of the growl in your voice and that you’re so damn good-lookin’. So, did you really dedicate that song to me the other day?’
His mouth twitched.
‘I named the solo after you, Ana, what’d you think?’
I rolled my eyes, hiding the fact I liked his moxie. ‘You’re such a try-hard charmer.’
‘What do you expect? I’m a musician.’
His muscled arms wrapped around my waist, pulling me back to his chest.
Don’t mess this up, Ana, my brain whispered. He’s one of a kind.
I shifted, turning my torso until my nose almost brushed his jaw, and played with one of his silver chains, this one thin, with a cross pendant.
Then I glanced up at him, giving him every cue possible to close the distance.
He tilted his chin down as I leaned into him.
Our lips met, and it wasn’t some cliché Hollywood explosion; no fireworks or a world-spinning sensation.
It was damn better.
His lips were firm, yet soft at the same time, suckling, nipping, and gliding over mine.
The thrill was heavenly, melding with a creeping, sensual heat that made my skin tingle and turned me on faster than anyone ever had.
Our chemistry was off the charts.
I wanted to dive into him, to lose myself in every detail of his life.
He tore his mouth away and sat up, breaking the kiss, his unusual eyes brooding, intense, and fixed on me.
‘What’s your endgame here, Ana? What do you want?’
I blinked, my lips still tingling.
