busily taking in donations and writing receipts. Alyssa was pleasantly surprised at how well Jackie’s service project was going. The girl had solicited the newspaper’s support, the Chamber of Commerce’s support, as well as various business owners. They had enough donations to fill a couple of truckloads, and Jackie had all of that organized as well. Alyssa was impressed with her effort.
By the afternoon, the donations had slowed, so they were fold ing and organizing the clothing to box and bag up for easy transport. Alyssa was making a pile of clothing to be laundered before taking it to the Crisis Center, when Summer came up behind her.
“Hey Alyssa, I asked around about your...um...” She looked at the high school girls around them. “Situation. Unfortunately, nobody had really heard of anything exactly like it before. But I did get some names of other people to call. I was going to do that this evening, but I saw you here and thought I’d go ahead and tell you I don’t have anything yet, but I’m still looking.”
Alyssa shrugged her shoulders and picked up a box to take to Jackie’s truck, which was waiting in the nearest parking area, two blocks away. “That’s okay, Summer. It’s probably nothing.”
As she turned with the box, she ran smack into a solid wall of muscle, sending the box full of clothes dropping to her feet. She was so unsettled by the sudden lack of motion, she tripped on her own feet and started to fall forward, into the broad chest standing in her way. A pair of strong hands gripped her arms to steady her, and she looked up into a steely pair of gray eyes. Alyssa’s heart did a flip-flop as she looked up, and noticed the auburn tousles, then the streamlined nose over full, wide lips that were parted in surprise. The man gaped at her, apparently as much at a loss for words as she was.
She gasped.
“Dalton?” She sputtered. His steely eyes softened into molten pools and widened in surprise.
“You know me?” He whispered. His face so close to hers, she could feel his breath. It smelled like lemonade. His hands relaxed on her arms but didn’t move. The heat from his touch spread through Alyssa’s body, like molten lava, settling into a pool at the bottom of her tummy.
“Y-yes.” She struggled to say that one word. Her heart was hammering so fast, she couldn’t breathe, much less form words.
Summer had witnessed the episode with a knowing smirk, and she gave Alyssa a wink. “I’ll call you later, girlfriend. We probably need to talk.” She melted into the crowd and disappeared.
Dalton’s eyes were still glued to hers. “But we’ve never met, have we?”
She wondered briefly, why he kept asking her questions. She was having such a hard time talking, answering, thinking with his lips so close to hers.
“No. I-I don’t think so.” She answered, and then licked her lips and swallowed hard past the lump that had formed in her throat. Her mouth was so dry, suddenly.
His hands, which had been holding her arms, moved upward, towards her shoulders. One hand grasped a lock of hair and rubbed the tendril between the fingertips. Dalton sighed, blowing his sweet breath across her face.
Her breath caught at the tenderness of his touch. His hands on her were unbelievably warm. She could feel his calloused fingertips on her bare shoulders, and tingles shot through her body, causing a tremble to rush through her. She shuddered.
“Are you alright?”
He must have felt her shaking, and she shook her head at him. “N-no.”
His fingers tightened on her shoulders, squeezing reassuringly. “I’m not, either. I didn’t think you were real.” He shook his head. “In fact, I’m not sure this isn’t a dream.”
Alyssa didn’t know what to say. Her lips parted to tell him something, but no words came out. Nothing else existed except for the two of them. All other noises
By the afternoon, the donations had slowed, so they were fold ing and organizing the clothing to box and bag up for easy transport. Alyssa was making a pile of clothing to be laundered before taking it to the Crisis Center, when Summer came up behind her.
“Hey Alyssa, I asked around about your...um...” She looked at the high school girls around them. “Situation. Unfortunately, nobody had really heard of anything exactly like it before. But I did get some names of other people to call. I was going to do that this evening, but I saw you here and thought I’d go ahead and tell you I don’t have anything yet, but I’m still looking.”
Alyssa shrugged her shoulders and picked up a box to take to Jackie’s truck, which was waiting in the nearest parking area, two blocks away. “That’s okay, Summer. It’s probably nothing.”
As she turned with the box, she ran smack into a solid wall of muscle, sending the box full of clothes dropping to her feet. She was so unsettled by the sudden lack of motion, she tripped on her own feet and started to fall forward, into the broad chest standing in her way. A pair of strong hands gripped her arms to steady her, and she looked up into a steely pair of gray eyes. Alyssa’s heart did a flip-flop as she looked up, and noticed the auburn tousles, then the streamlined nose over full, wide lips that were parted in surprise. The man gaped at her, apparently as much at a loss for words as she was.
She gasped.
“Dalton?” She sputtered. His steely eyes softened into molten pools and widened in surprise.
“You know me?” He whispered. His face so close to hers, she could feel his breath. It smelled like lemonade. His hands relaxed on her arms but didn’t move. The heat from his touch spread through Alyssa’s body, like molten lava, settling into a pool at the bottom of her tummy.
“Y-yes.” She struggled to say that one word. Her heart was hammering so fast, she couldn’t breathe, much less form words.
Summer had witnessed the episode with a knowing smirk, and she gave Alyssa a wink. “I’ll call you later, girlfriend. We probably need to talk.” She melted into the crowd and disappeared.
Dalton’s eyes were still glued to hers. “But we’ve never met, have we?”
She wondered briefly, why he kept asking her questions. She was having such a hard time talking, answering, thinking with his lips so close to hers.
“No. I-I don’t think so.” She answered, and then licked her lips and swallowed hard past the lump that had formed in her throat. Her mouth was so dry, suddenly.
His hands, which had been holding her arms, moved upward, towards her shoulders. One hand grasped a lock of hair and rubbed the tendril between the fingertips. Dalton sighed, blowing his sweet breath across her face.
Her breath caught at the tenderness of his touch. His hands on her were unbelievably warm. She could feel his calloused fingertips on her bare shoulders, and tingles shot through her body, causing a tremble to rush through her. She shuddered.
“Are you alright?”
He must have felt her shaking, and she shook her head at him. “N-no.”
His fingers tightened on her shoulders, squeezing reassuringly. “I’m not, either. I didn’t think you were real.” He shook his head. “In fact, I’m not sure this isn’t a dream.”
Alyssa didn’t know what to say. Her lips parted to tell him something, but no words came out. Nothing else existed except for the two of them. All other noises
Similar Books
