cares.
She smiles and leads me back outside. She wants to walk.
“You won’t get locked out or anything?”
She dangles a key at me and shoves it in her pocket.
We wind up a wide sidewalk next to a wide street. Almost deserted. We get to the top and there’s a big complex of red brick buildings.
“That’s the MTC—Missionary Training Center where all the guys who get called on missions go to learn how to teach the gospel and speak the languages of the placesthey’re going to serve.”
“You delivering me as a sacrifice?”
“No.” She points me in the other direction. “I wanted to show you that.”
Across the street is a massive, low, white building. Round with a gold spire coming out of the middle of it. Statue on top. The whole thing is lit, glowing like a beacon guiding lost aliens to the mother ship. “What’s that?”
“Another temple.”
“This one’s a lot bigger than the Spokane temple.” I remember the power of that other building.
“Yeah.” Leesie pulls me across the street. “People say it’s ugly, but I’m starting to love it. I come up here a lot. Helps me think.”
We walk up behind the temple. The sidewalk slopes up so you can look down on the grounds and out at the city lights pricking the night with myriads of pinpoints.
I draw Leesie close, breathe in the sharp scent of her leather jacket blended with the sweetness of her hair. I touch the fringe on the front of her jacket, twist a lock of her hair around my finger. “Are you glad I came?”
“Delirious.”
I hold her until she starts to shiver. Even with my sweatshirt, I’m cold, too. No wonder. There are massive jagged mountains right beside us. They’ve been there, on the edge of this long valley since I landed at the Salt Lake airport. But here, we could hike right into them. We’re high in the Rockies without even trying. The night is cooling off. I kiss Leesie’s cold lips—just once in this solemn place—and keep her tucked under my arm until we get back to her dorm.
I show her where I parked the red Rav4 I rented.
“No Jeep?” She looks in the window.
I unlock the door. “This is the best they had.”
“Where are you staying?” She turns around and puts a protective hand on my chest.
“I passed a bunch of hotels.” I put my hand on hers, lean over to kiss her good night.
She puts her fingers on my lips. “I could call Noah—you could stay there.”
“Do they have a couch as hard as yours?” I kiss her fingertips.
She nods and drops her hand. “You’re right.” She reaches up to kiss me. “You wouldn’t get any rest.”
A pulse of desire shoots through me. I’ve been trying to control it all night. I pull her in tight, press her back against the car. My mouth comes down on hers too hard. I smash her bottom lip. Freak, I hurt her again. I back off her. “I’m sorry, babe.”
She sucks on her lip and shakes her head. “It’s okay.”
“I’m a mess. I’m falling asleep standing here.”
“You want me to come with you?” She opens the car door for me.
I must be dreaming. “To the hotel?” I shoot shock in her direction.
She punches my arm. “To show you the way.”
I pull her close again and chew on her ear. “Now you’re an expert?”
She shivers, and it’s not from the night air. “To make sure you get there safely.”
I kiss her long and slow—soft, careful of her bruised lip, but I hold her mouth until she’s breathless. “I know all about safety.”
“Stop it.” She tries to push me away.
I’m not going anywhere. “Take a deep breath.”
She obeys, and I kiss her one last time, hang on to her lips for as long as she’ll let me. My hands coast to her hips. She stiffens, puts them back on her waist, and breaks off the kiss. “You’re not”—she settles her lips back on mine for an instant—“too tired”—another kiss—“to drive?”
I suck gently on that lower lip that I hurt and all the rigidity in her body disappears. She tips her head
She smiles and leads me back outside. She wants to walk.
“You won’t get locked out or anything?”
She dangles a key at me and shoves it in her pocket.
We wind up a wide sidewalk next to a wide street. Almost deserted. We get to the top and there’s a big complex of red brick buildings.
“That’s the MTC—Missionary Training Center where all the guys who get called on missions go to learn how to teach the gospel and speak the languages of the placesthey’re going to serve.”
“You delivering me as a sacrifice?”
“No.” She points me in the other direction. “I wanted to show you that.”
Across the street is a massive, low, white building. Round with a gold spire coming out of the middle of it. Statue on top. The whole thing is lit, glowing like a beacon guiding lost aliens to the mother ship. “What’s that?”
“Another temple.”
“This one’s a lot bigger than the Spokane temple.” I remember the power of that other building.
“Yeah.” Leesie pulls me across the street. “People say it’s ugly, but I’m starting to love it. I come up here a lot. Helps me think.”
We walk up behind the temple. The sidewalk slopes up so you can look down on the grounds and out at the city lights pricking the night with myriads of pinpoints.
I draw Leesie close, breathe in the sharp scent of her leather jacket blended with the sweetness of her hair. I touch the fringe on the front of her jacket, twist a lock of her hair around my finger. “Are you glad I came?”
“Delirious.”
I hold her until she starts to shiver. Even with my sweatshirt, I’m cold, too. No wonder. There are massive jagged mountains right beside us. They’ve been there, on the edge of this long valley since I landed at the Salt Lake airport. But here, we could hike right into them. We’re high in the Rockies without even trying. The night is cooling off. I kiss Leesie’s cold lips—just once in this solemn place—and keep her tucked under my arm until we get back to her dorm.
I show her where I parked the red Rav4 I rented.
“No Jeep?” She looks in the window.
I unlock the door. “This is the best they had.”
“Where are you staying?” She turns around and puts a protective hand on my chest.
“I passed a bunch of hotels.” I put my hand on hers, lean over to kiss her good night.
She puts her fingers on my lips. “I could call Noah—you could stay there.”
“Do they have a couch as hard as yours?” I kiss her fingertips.
She nods and drops her hand. “You’re right.” She reaches up to kiss me. “You wouldn’t get any rest.”
A pulse of desire shoots through me. I’ve been trying to control it all night. I pull her in tight, press her back against the car. My mouth comes down on hers too hard. I smash her bottom lip. Freak, I hurt her again. I back off her. “I’m sorry, babe.”
She sucks on her lip and shakes her head. “It’s okay.”
“I’m a mess. I’m falling asleep standing here.”
“You want me to come with you?” She opens the car door for me.
I must be dreaming. “To the hotel?” I shoot shock in her direction.
She punches my arm. “To show you the way.”
I pull her close again and chew on her ear. “Now you’re an expert?”
She shivers, and it’s not from the night air. “To make sure you get there safely.”
I kiss her long and slow—soft, careful of her bruised lip, but I hold her mouth until she’s breathless. “I know all about safety.”
“Stop it.” She tries to push me away.
I’m not going anywhere. “Take a deep breath.”
She obeys, and I kiss her one last time, hang on to her lips for as long as she’ll let me. My hands coast to her hips. She stiffens, puts them back on her waist, and breaks off the kiss. “You’re not”—she settles her lips back on mine for an instant—“too tired”—another kiss—“to drive?”
I suck gently on that lower lip that I hurt and all the rigidity in her body disappears. She tips her head
Similar Books
