Page 71 of Love at First Ride
He breaks our kiss, our faces almost touching.
‘We shouldn’t do this,’ he breathes, and disappointment floods my veins.Has he changed his mind?
‘The first time we’re naked together and I’m inside you,’ he continues in a gravelly voice, ‘it should be special.’
Liquid heat rushes to my core as I picture his graphic description. The ridge in his jeans pushes into me. If AJ took me now, I wouldn’t mind, but I gently nod my head.
‘And by the way, you’re so fucking beautiful,’ he adds.
I grin. ‘Thank you,’ I say. ‘And you have no right being as hot as you are.’
He grins back down at me. ‘Oh yeah? I didn’t know you thought that about me.’
I reach up and touch his cheek. ‘I’ve always thought that about you.’
He lowers his mouth again, slower this time. ‘Did you have a timeframe for you know… the wait?’ I ask between kisses.
His laugh is low and languid. ‘How about tonight? I could swing by after I finish work?’
‘I’d like that.’
He slides down to lie by my side, keeping his fingers pressed against my cheek. ‘I brought you breakfast from Waffle House. It’s prolly cold by now. You want some?’
‘Where did you put it?’
‘Out in the hallway.’
He gets up off the bed, pulls his T-shirt back on and a moment later, I hear my front door. I get up off the bed and walk out, only to find him holding a bouquet of pink roses, a grease-stained paper bag and his motorcycle helmet propped under his arm.
‘These are for you,’ he says, holding up the roses. ‘To say sorry for abandoning you in Roswell. I should never have left you like that.’
‘They’re beautiful,’ I say. I can hardly believe this is happening. I take them and he leans over and grants me another kiss.
‘Have you talked to Noah?’ I ask.
‘Couple times. He’s doing well. Rita says he’s settled well, despite missing our mom.’
‘That’s good. And no word from the police?’
He shrugs. ‘Cops have gone quiet. What happened last night? When they took y’all away?’
We go about reheating the food in the microwave. ‘They literally dropped us off at the bus station in Eastvale, then took the rest to the Canyon Uni campus. No explanations. I stepped off the bus and came face to face with the county sheriff and my stepmother.’
‘No way.’
‘She looked at me, and I could tell she was livid. Then she just turned her back on me. It was like I didn’t even exist in her universe.’
‘Ouch.’
‘So now, of course, my dad isvery disappointedin me.’
‘You went out to Rapture, so what?’
I shake my head. ‘Evelyn doesn’t like what Echo is doing. Making Rapture out to be thisInstagrammablelocation.’
AJ nearly chokes on his food. ‘I’m sorry, what?’
‘You know. Rapture is, like… cool now.’
