Page 119 of Fifty First Times (Sharing You 0.40)
I grab for a napkin. When I find one, she’s face down on the bar, laughing her ass off. It’s so free, so uninhibited, that I can only stare.
When she finally sits up she looks at me with watery eyes and pink cheeks. “Are you holding that for sentimental purposes or can you hand it over?”
I give her the napkin and she wipes her eyes and mouth.
“What are you looking at?” she asks, smoothing her hair. “Surely you’ve seen someone make a fool of themselves before?”
“I don’t understand how you can be so beautiful when beer’s coming out your nose.”
“Oh please.” Liza balls the napkin up and throws it back at me. “I tell you I’m not embarrassed to be seen with you and you give yourself permission to break out the cheese?”
“I’m not lying.” I take her hand, step between her legs. “I think you’re beautiful, smart, unexpectedly funny, and I want you to feel similar kind feelings toward me. Because I want you to see me again.”
&n
bsp; Her breath catches. “I’m not seeing you now.”
“You will be for at least few more hours. I want to take you home.”
She groans and tries to pull away.
“I’m making a mess of this. That’s not a line. I want to make sure you get into your apartment without a hassle from any of the players, even if we have to sit in the parking lot all night. You have tomorrow off, right?”
“Yes.”
“So you can sleep in.”
She nods.
“You’re breathing really fast,” I observe.
“You’re standing really close.”
“You aren’t making me move.”
“No,” she says, looking up at me from under her lashes. “I’m not.”
I tuck one strand of her blue-black hair behind her ear. Let my hand linger on her face. Tip up her chin.
And kiss her.
Liza
I’M NOT ABOVE admitting that Ben Bullock is one amazing-looking guy.
But I had no idea he would be such an amazing kisser.
Gentle, thoughtful. Seeking without pushing. Before I know it, I’m hanging on to his shirt and gasping for oxygen.
“Holy shit.”
“That exactly.” He takes my hand.
He holds it all the way to the car, and I know I should stop him, stop this, but his hand’s so warm. It’s calloused from the bat, and I wonder how it would feel on my skin.
Damn it, Liza.
He doesn’t let go until he opens the car door for me.
