conviction of a twenty-two-year old who’s never had to consider the realities of the market.
His idealism made me feel ancient. The long months of reviewing the resort’s balance sheets and coming up with increasingly desperate promotions to keep that sinking ship afloat had left me cynical.
“I hope your family business works out better than mine,” I blurted without stopping to think about what I was saying.
Curiosity sparked in his eyes. “You have a family business?”
After months of keeping a lid on my disastrous, dysfunctional family, the whole pathetic story came pouring out. When I finished, my cheeks were wet with tears I hadn’t even realized I’d shed.
“Hey, shh, it’s okay,” he soothed as he scooched across the blanket and snugged me into the crook of his arm. He pulled me tight and hugged me hard against his warm arm and side. Then he tipped my chin back and very, very gently, with a feather’s touch, wiped away my tears. I took a deep, ragged breath and twisted my mouth into an approximation of a smile.
And then he covered my mouth with his.
I inhaled in surprise and tasted wine and salt. Part of my mind was racing, processing the fact that after all his flirting and innuendo, Felix Patrick was kissing me. But most of my mind was spinning with desire and pleasure. I wrapped my fingers around the dark curls at the base of his head and kissed him back with an urgency that surprised me. Time must have passed but it didn’t feel that way. I felt suspended in that moment.
My arms slid down around his neck. He rested a hand on the small of my back and tipped me back so that I was reclining on the blanket and knelt over me. My heart thudded in my chest and electricity raced up my spine. He paused to take a breath and I opened my eyes to find his green eyes locked on mine with an intensity that made my skin hot.
“Wow,” I whispered, my lips brushing his as I spoke.
“You can say that again,” he said as he trailed a finger along the hollow where my throat met my clavicle.
I shivered. “Wow,” I repeated with a grin as his lips pressed against mine.
----
S omehow Felix didn’t wreck his Porsche driving me home. I’m honestly not sure how he managed that feat—between the kisses he stole at every stop sign, red light, and pause in traffic and the fact that he had one hand on the steering wheel and the other firmly clasping my left hand, his thumb tracing circles on mine. Now, to be clear, I didn’t exactly discourage this behavior. In my defense, though, I was giddy, grinning like a little kid and bouncing in my seat.
We didn’t talk much during the long drive from the Hollywood Bowl to my apartment. I didn’t mind the silence. Intelligent conversation was pretty much out of my grasp at the moment. I kept stealing sidelong glances at him as we inched along in Los Angeles’ ever-present, excruciating traffic. Every time I looked over at him, he was already looking at me.
“Hey, there,” he said as he caught me peeking at him when we were stopped at the traffic light at the end of my block.
Suddenly, I felt inexplicably shy. “Hey.” I lowered my gaze.
He leaned over and cupped my face in his hands. He kissed me, hard and fast. My back arched and I strained against the seatbelt, my body yearning for his.
The driver behind us gave a short, polite honk. I opened one eye.
“The light’s green,” I said against his lips.
“I don’t care.” He pressed his mouth against mine.
The driver behind us laid on the horn like he meant it. I jumped back and pulled away while Felix laughed. He shook his head at me and slowly rolled through the intersection.
“You’re terrible,” I told him.
“Why do you care so much what other people think?” He asked like he was genuinely curious.
“What do you mean?” I stalled.
“This dude behind us, for instance. You’re never going to see him again. What do you care if he’s pissed that I made him wait thirty seconds so I could
His idealism made me feel ancient. The long months of reviewing the resort’s balance sheets and coming up with increasingly desperate promotions to keep that sinking ship afloat had left me cynical.
“I hope your family business works out better than mine,” I blurted without stopping to think about what I was saying.
Curiosity sparked in his eyes. “You have a family business?”
After months of keeping a lid on my disastrous, dysfunctional family, the whole pathetic story came pouring out. When I finished, my cheeks were wet with tears I hadn’t even realized I’d shed.
“Hey, shh, it’s okay,” he soothed as he scooched across the blanket and snugged me into the crook of his arm. He pulled me tight and hugged me hard against his warm arm and side. Then he tipped my chin back and very, very gently, with a feather’s touch, wiped away my tears. I took a deep, ragged breath and twisted my mouth into an approximation of a smile.
And then he covered my mouth with his.
I inhaled in surprise and tasted wine and salt. Part of my mind was racing, processing the fact that after all his flirting and innuendo, Felix Patrick was kissing me. But most of my mind was spinning with desire and pleasure. I wrapped my fingers around the dark curls at the base of his head and kissed him back with an urgency that surprised me. Time must have passed but it didn’t feel that way. I felt suspended in that moment.
My arms slid down around his neck. He rested a hand on the small of my back and tipped me back so that I was reclining on the blanket and knelt over me. My heart thudded in my chest and electricity raced up my spine. He paused to take a breath and I opened my eyes to find his green eyes locked on mine with an intensity that made my skin hot.
“Wow,” I whispered, my lips brushing his as I spoke.
“You can say that again,” he said as he trailed a finger along the hollow where my throat met my clavicle.
I shivered. “Wow,” I repeated with a grin as his lips pressed against mine.
----
S omehow Felix didn’t wreck his Porsche driving me home. I’m honestly not sure how he managed that feat—between the kisses he stole at every stop sign, red light, and pause in traffic and the fact that he had one hand on the steering wheel and the other firmly clasping my left hand, his thumb tracing circles on mine. Now, to be clear, I didn’t exactly discourage this behavior. In my defense, though, I was giddy, grinning like a little kid and bouncing in my seat.
We didn’t talk much during the long drive from the Hollywood Bowl to my apartment. I didn’t mind the silence. Intelligent conversation was pretty much out of my grasp at the moment. I kept stealing sidelong glances at him as we inched along in Los Angeles’ ever-present, excruciating traffic. Every time I looked over at him, he was already looking at me.
“Hey, there,” he said as he caught me peeking at him when we were stopped at the traffic light at the end of my block.
Suddenly, I felt inexplicably shy. “Hey.” I lowered my gaze.
He leaned over and cupped my face in his hands. He kissed me, hard and fast. My back arched and I strained against the seatbelt, my body yearning for his.
The driver behind us gave a short, polite honk. I opened one eye.
“The light’s green,” I said against his lips.
“I don’t care.” He pressed his mouth against mine.
The driver behind us laid on the horn like he meant it. I jumped back and pulled away while Felix laughed. He shook his head at me and slowly rolled through the intersection.
“You’re terrible,” I told him.
“Why do you care so much what other people think?” He asked like he was genuinely curious.
“What do you mean?” I stalled.
“This dude behind us, for instance. You’re never going to see him again. What do you care if he’s pissed that I made him wait thirty seconds so I could
Similar Books
