He drops his voice. "I was a dick...I am a dick because I liked you the minute I saw you. And when you told me about the other guys, how they fucked you over, I swear to god, I never felt more like kicking some ass, Evan. And part of me felt--" He slides both hands to my shoulders and holds on tight. "Part of me felt like I better be damn sure I'd never do anything like that to you. So I was pissed at them and pissed at me, and a little pissed at you for not realizing that you're worth so much more than that. That you should never, ever let anyone treat you that way. So I'm sorry. I really am. Trust me, that little outburst wasn't in the plan."
Goosebumps run up and down my arms and legs, I feel hot, and the blood rushes quick and deafening in my ears. "So, there was a plan?"
He nods, his mouth twisted to the side. "A good plan. Slick as hell, romantic, the whole nine."
"You messed that up big time." My voice wobbles and thumps. The cellphone in my pocket lets out a soft tone, the alarm that marks the end of our five minutes.
Winch pulls me closer, and the entire world funnels into the space between the two of us. "It was chicken-shit of me to want to be slick instead of honest. But I'm glad you gave me a second chance to be honest with you, Evan, even if being honest might have fucked it all up. You deserve honesty. And I wouldn't rush this under normal circumstances, but I respect that you might beat it now that I got my five minutes. I'd never forgive myself if I didn't at least try."
His hands run up along my neck, and he tips my face to his. I can smell the sharp tang of his aftershave and the underlying salty sweat that marks his long day of work in the sun. I snake my arms around his waist, and my knees wobble when he locks his hips to mine. He nuzzles my neck, sucking gently and breathing deeply, and I press against him.
He pulls his mouth up my neck, across my cheek, and finds my lips with a desperate press that shocks me and knocks a moan out of my mouth and into his. The fingers of his one hand slide through my hair and his other hand dips down to the small of my back, pulling me tighter and locking me closer.
My mouth opens and his tongue slides in, and his kiss isn't the mix of lazy and confident I was sure it would be. It's all crazy passion and definite possessiveness, like he knows that if he snares me with a kiss I can't forget, I won't be able to walk away after our five minutes is up.
The alarm on my phone tones its reminder again, but all I can think about is the hungry pull of Winch's mouth, the strong cage of his arms, and the fact that even when I set my own alarm and it is ringing right in my ear, I'm powerless against a bad boy and his hot kisses.
Winch 4
I don't know if I ever kissed any girl the way I'm kissing Evan, like a maniac, on the curb in the middle of Savannah. I can hear her damn cellphone alarm beeping, and I'm scared as hell she's going to turn and walk out of my life, maybe for good. Not that I'd blame her. I acted like a douchebag, and I deserve whatever she wants to throw my way.
I usually hold back when I'm with a girl. I'm usually thinking about the whole entire situation, analyzing, paying attention to making it good, but also making sure that I have half an eye on everything going on around me.
This is nothing like that. I think a bomb could have gone off next to us, and I wouldn't have noticed. She tastes better than I could have imagined she would, sweeter and darker, with the unexpected bite of her teeth on my lip that makes me yank her closer and kiss her deeper.
When I pull back, her eyes are wide, icy circles and her lips are fat and bruised from my mouth on them. I want to say something suave, something to convince her not to leave.
I have nothing.
She opens her mouth and says, "Do you want a hamburger instead of pizza?"
Maybe I should be worried she isn't more into the kiss, but I'm just happy she isn't going anywhere. I rush around to get her door, drive like crazy to the nearest Five Guys, and feel like I don't breathe until she's standing at the register with me, eyes squinted at the menus overhead, one hip slanted close to mine.
"I'd like a bacon cheeseburger, lettuce, tomato, grilled onion, grilled mushroom, mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard...and relish. No! No relish. Please. And thank you." She looks over at me like she's going to ask a question, then looks back at the poor guy behind the counter. "And a bacon cheese dog. And Cajun fries, please."
"I'll have what the lady's having, and we'll need two sodas," I tell the guy, who is trying to call out the colossal order to the girl cooking the food. I pay, get the receipt, and follow Evan to the fountain, where she's getting a root beer. "There's gonna be more topping than burger on your burger."
"Yours too." She dunks a straw in the soda and swirls it around to get rid of the foam on top. "You ordered the same as me."
She clicks the lid on her soda and
