Instead, I dropped the rock and ran after Amelia. When I got to the top of the cliff, she was already in my truck, facing forward, unnaturally still. Alarm bells sounded in my head. She probably regretted what almost happened and was now retreating in true Amelia fashion. She was more stubborn than a donkey. I had my work cut out for me. But then again, I always did when it came to Amelia.
“Dammit,” I muttered, then opened my door and climbed in.
I started the truck and pulled out onto the road. Clearing my throat, I did what worked best. Reverse psychology in the form of teasing. “Wow, that was a close call. I almost kissed you and that would have been really, really disgusting.”
Amelia spun on me with the speed of an attacking puma. “Hey! You would have enjoyed that kiss. Believe me.” She whacked me in the arm as I chuckled.
“I don’t know. You remember Bobby freshman year? I don’t think he’d vouch for you.”
Amelia crossed her arms over her chest and harrumphed. “Come on. That was my first kiss, and to be fair, Bobby had a ridiculous amount of metal braces to overcome.”
I tossed my head back and laughed. “I know. I was always amazed you chose him for your first kiss. Thought maybe you were challenging yourself or something.”
Amelia’s lips twitched in a barely there smile. “I’ll have you know my kissing skills have improved dramatically since then.”
My heart sped up. “I could take your word for it…or you could show me.”
She side-eyed me, seeing if I was serious. My teeth were clenched so hard I was sure to pull a jaw muscle. “Maybe I will…” Her voice was soft, not teasing any longer.
Her phone rang, splitting the charged silence. Because of course it would. Every time Amelia and I got close to crossing that line of friendship, something interrupted us. I’d have to kidnap her and rent a cabin somewhere deep in the woods to get some goddamn alone time with her for all the things I wanted to do to her.
Her phone screen shined bright in the dark cab of my truck. She silenced it, but not before I caught a glance at the caller ID.
Daire.
“What the fuck is he doing calling you?” I asked before I could check myself. Yelling at her wasn’t going to help anything.
She shrugged and put the phone in the back pocket of her shorts. “Who knows?”
“Does he call you often?” I kept asking questions like my mouth wasn’t connected to my brain.
“No. This is the first time I’ve heard from him since he texted me back the day I broke up with him. Not that it’s any of your business.” Amelia lifted her nose in the air and looked out the windshield.
“Amelia. You’re my best friend. Who just got out of a rough relationship. If he’s bothering you, it’s most certainly my business.”
Anger burned a hole in my stomach. There was no way in hell I’d let that asshole worm his way back into her life and mess things up again. I pulled into the back parking lot of the hotel where the staff parked. When I put it in park, I realized Amelia was still staring out the window, completely silent.
My heart sank and I wanted to punch myself in the face. Here I was questioning her to serve my own agenda when she was obviously upset that he’d made contact with her again.
“Lia?” I asked softly.
She blinked and spun to face me. “Huh?”
“You okay, sweetheart?” Finally. The question I should have asked before. I was such an idiot.
She smiled slowly, the one she saved for when she was being genuine and serious. “Yeah. I think I am. It threw me for a second when I saw his name, but I realized it wasn’t because I missed him or our time together. It was more of a flinch reaction to someone I just don’t care for at all.”
I blew out the breath I’d been holding without realizing it. My hand, the one that was on the back of the seat, played with a strand of her hair. “No taking him back, huh?”
Amelia wrinkled her nose. “God, no.”
“Thank fuck,” I muttered.
Without wasting a single second, I reached over and pulled her against me, laying my lips on hers before someone or something could interrupt us again. Her mouth froze for a second and then melted under mine, tasting and testing. Her tongue darted out to flick my lower lip and my head nearly floated off my neck. I dove in even as she climbed onto my lap like she knew how all my daydreams started. Her legs straddled my waist and she sat down, finding out instantly I wanted her far more than a friend should. There was no way to hide what I was feeling, and for once in my life, I wasn’t going to try. I was going to ride this wave of elation until Amelia told me to stop.
She let out a soft groan and ran her hands into my hair, causing goose bumps to take up residence on every inch of my skin. She pulled hard on my hair as our tongues wrestled for dominance. Funny thing was, I’d let her dominate me all she wanted if this was the result. My hands traveled up her back, then down again before making the upward climb toward her breasts. She could own this kiss, but I’d own her body. I’d spent years darting careful glances at her growing breasts. The adolescent boy had been fascinated; the grown man was reverent.
My thumbs brushed the swell of her breasts and she rolled her hips. I cupped their weight in my palms and she nipped at my bottom lip. My cock surged in my jeans, causing a pain so great I finally understood the appeal of mixing pleasure with pain. I’d enjoyed some kisses before but never like this. Kissing Amelia felt like I might
