“Seven,” I said, clearing my throat as I pulled back and quickly closed her door. She stared at me through the window as she started her truck and began to pull out of the parking lot.
As I rounded my vehicle and paused to see the taillights of Chloe’s truck disappear around the corner, I dug my own keys out of my pocket.
“You’re gonna get bored real fast.” With my hand on the door handle of my truck, I let out a slow breath. “She’s a sit-at-home-and-watch-movies kind of girl. Those movies about fluffy animals and happy times. She’s a dinner in, bed by nine, church on Sunday, bored by thirty type.”
My mom was right; this was going to complicate things. Holly was a mess.
“If memory serves me, you prefer the wild nights and crazy times.” My stomach knotted. “Up against the side of a night club, in a dark alley. Skirt hiked up around a girl’s waist, pants undone and pooled low on your hips. The thrill of being caught driving you forward. That’s the Landon I remember.”
I turned around to face her.
“You know we never got to finish that night.” Holly placed her finger in the center of my chest. “We were so close, and the anticipation has been killing me since then. The not knowing just how great we’d be together. The desire to feel you inside—”
“Not gonna happen.” I may have left a few details out about my encounter with Holly, but telling the girl you’re interested in that you almost had sex in an alley with someone they clearly disliked didn’t seem like the perfect way to kick off the start of a relationship. Plus Chloe and I were already so rocky.
“Why don’t you sound sure about that?” Was this woman fucking delusional? “I think you’re curious, too, where it could have gone had that security guard not busted us.”
“Actually, that was a moment of clarity. That guy stopped me from doing something I knew I would regret later.” Holly didn’t even flinch. Instead, her smile grew like she knew something I didn’t.
“Your little girlfriend has no idea what took place between us, does she?”
“Nothing took place.” I moved toward her before stopping myself quickly. I would never hurt a woman. I was raised to respect them and cherish them. They were beautiful creatures that should be loved, not hated. But this woman, she was the fucking devil. “We went out, got a little too tipsy, and almost had sex in an alleyway. Almost,” I emphasized. “The chemistry wasn’t there, and okay fine, I am a guy, and sometimes our hormones get in the way of logical thinking, but I have never been happier in my life to be cock-blocked because, like I said, it was a mistake that was avoided. I don’t feel anything for you, Holly. I don’t know how much clearer I can be. This,” I motioned between us, “it’s never gonna happen.”
With a smile and a little laugh, Holly turned around and walked away, shaking her head. A gut feeling, a nagging tightening pain, ensured me that this mess was not over. It was going to get a whole lot messier, and that scared the hell out of me.
***
Baby blue. Loved the color, even more so now. It was the color of Chloe’s eyes and the dress she wore. A dress that stopped just about her knees and hung off one shoulder, only highlighting her gorgeous tan skin.
I stood in the doorway of her apartment building as she descended down the stairs toward me.
Unbelievably gorgeous, stunning.
“You never said where we were going.” She paused and ran her hand over her stomach and along her thigh as if to smooth out the perfectly fitted dress. “I hope this is okay.”
“You look amazing.” Stepping closer, I took her hand and led her down the last few steps. When she hit the landing, I gave her a little twirl, and she laughed. “You make that dress look good.”
“I’m sure it’s more of the other way around.” I didn’t miss the way her cheeks reddened.
“It is definitely the woman, not the dress.”
Chloe had a shy side, or maybe it’s only with me.
“This is for you.” I held out one single rose and again took pleasure in the way the rosy color of her cheeks deepened. She took the rose, lifting it to her nose as the petals rested again her lips. She inhaled, and in the process, her eyes fluttered shut.
I could feel myself getting turned on by the simple reaction and knew that I needed to break the moment or one of two things would happen: we would never make it to dinner or I would embarrass myself.
“Shall we?”
Holding out my arm, she linked hers with mine, and together we walked to the front entrance of the building. Stepping out into the cool night air, I felt her shiver. I moved my hand up her back, pulling her in closer. “Are you cold?”
“No.” Whispering the confession, she tucked her chin, and I realized she was as much affected by me as I was by her. The chemistry was through the roof.
Pausing near the side of my truck, I reached out to open the door, and the idea of helping her up into the lifted beast made me feel like a teenage boy all over again.
“I should have thought out the outfit a little more.”
When I noticed her tugging on the bottom of her skirt while looking up at the truck, I chuckled. “I don’t know, I think the outfit is perfect.”
“To flash you, maybe.” My humor was enhanced by the widening
