by Lauren Layne
He glanced down, rubbing a self-conscious hand along the front of the tight T-shirt. “Yeah, I’ve been doing more and more heavy lifting at the vineyards lately. Probably time to get some new shirts.”
She clucked her tongue. “You poor thing, struggling with all those new muscles. Have you heard from Abby since she got back for the summer? Bet she’ll be regretting that you guys broke up when she sees you.”
His surprised blue gaze came back to her. “I swear, sometimes it’s like you monitor my phone.”
Lucy forced a smile. “So you have heard from her.”
He lifted a disinterested shoulder. “She mentioned wanting to hang out. See how I was doing.”
“And how are you doing?” Lucy said, leaning forward, letting her legs swing. “I hardly see you anymore.”
Again with a shrug. “Not as much reason to come around without Craig here.”
She let out a startled, hurt laugh. “Ouch.”
He winced. “You know what I mean.”
“Not really,” she said, eyes narrowed. “I thought we were friends too. Not best friends like you and Craig, but…I miss you.”
She hadn’t meant to say it, but it was out there, and it was true. Lucy may have worked darn hard during her senior year to get over her crush on the unattainable Reece Sullivan, but every time he showed up again, her stupid heart seemed to remember that it beat too fast for him.
Reece swallowed and crossed his arms, almost as though protecting himself.
From what?
He cleared his throat. “Congrats on graduating. Didn’t get to say so at the party with your entourage hanging around.”
She laughed. “Seriously?”
Reece shrugged. “The Bentley kid stayed awfully close to you.”
“You know Bryan?”
“Yup. He was second-string running back when I was starting.”
“You forgot to beat your chest when you said that,” she teased. “And he was starter after you graduated.”
She didn’t know why she was baiting Reece, but she’d swear there was a touch of jealousy beneath his frown. Or at least protectiveness.
“I’m not dating him,” she said quietly.
“Well, he’s interested,” he grumbled.
“Maybe,” she granted. “But I’m not.”
“Smart. You’re leaving in three months.”
“That’s not why,” she said.
His eyes narrowed for a half second, his expression going wary, even as his gaze flicked over hers, both hungrily and reluctantly. As though he didn’t want to notice her but couldn’t help himself.
She felt a thrill of hope. It’s not just me.
Then he relaxed his arms and nodded his head back toward the front door. “I should go.”
Lucy swallowed her disappointment. What had she been expecting, that he’d walk in here and tell her that things had changed for him too?
That he was as aware of her as she was of him?
She hadn’t been expecting it. But she had let herself hope, and that was just as dangerous.
“Okay. See you around,” she said, forcing a smile.
Reece nodded and headed toward the front door, giving her a chance to admire the way the shirt hugged his broad shoulders and narrow waist, and the way the jeans perfectly fit his perfect—
He turned around before she could fully appreciate his butt. “There’s something I’ve been wondering.”
“Shoot,” she said, legs continuing to swing idly, as though she didn’t have a care in the world.
“Did it ever get better for you?”
“Did what?” Lucy asked, not following.
“Kissing.”
Her legs abruptly stopped swinging. “What?”
Reece walked toward her until he was just a few inches from where she sat. Her position on the counter put them at eye level, and the sheer control in the way he moved made her suddenly realize that she’d seriously be in over her head with this guy if he ever decided to make a move.
“I promised you it got better after the first kiss,” he said, moving even closer, even as his gaze stayed safely locked on her collarbone. “Want to make sure I didn’t let you down.”
“You didn’t let me down,” she said without thinking.
His eyes flew to hers. “Meaning?”
Lucy decided to go for broke. As he pointed out, she was leaving in three months. Nothing to lose. Other than her heart. “Meaning that my first kiss remains my best kiss,” she whispered.
“Well that’s a shame,” he said quietly, easing forward as she spread her knees slightly to make room for him to step between them. “Because I seem to remember that wasn’t my best work.”
“You angling for a do-over, Sullivan?” she teased, trying desperately to keep the girlish breathlessness out of her voice. To sound grown-up.
His gaze dropped to her mouth, and Lucy swallowed. She may not have mastered the art of sounding like a grown-up just yet, but the woman in her knew that he wanted to kiss her.
She held her breath. Maybe leaned forward…
He stepped back, swearing softly as he rubbed his hands over his hair.
“What am I doing?” she heard him mutter.
Reece turned and stomped toward the front door, and Lucy all but flew off the counter, racing past him and getting between him and the front door.
He got an annoyed look on his face and glared at her. “What?”
“You know what,” she snapped back. “Don’t start something you can’t finish.”
“I never should have started it,” he said, trying to step around her.
She stepped with him, blocking him. “What are you scared of?”
He surprised her by laughing. “With you? Everything.”
“Me too,” she whispered, taking a step forward.
Reece tensed, but didn’t move away. “Don’t do this, Lucy.”
She ignored him, and before her brain could tell her heart to get back in line, she went on her toes and kissed him.
It was a soft, awkward kiss. He was way taller than she was, and though she’d gotten plenty of kissing experience over the past year or two, most of that had been guys kissing her, not the other way around.
She pressed harder, her heart sinking when Reece didn’t respond. He didn’t move a single muscle as her lips moved pleadingly against his.
Lucy dropped back to her heels, not sure which emotion was stronger: humiliation or devastation.
She swallowed. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have—”
Lucy stepped aside to flee upstairs to the safety of her bedroom, but he grabbed her, fingers wrapping around her upper arm, and dragged her against him.
Reece dipped his head, hesitating for a fraction of a second before whispering, “Fuck me.”
And then his mouth closed over hers, hot and possessive. Lucy gasped in surprise before opening her lips to his.
Reece’s hands found her shoulders, backing her into the front door. Once she was pinned between the door and his body, his hands lifted to her hair, tangling in it and tilting her head so he could take the kiss deeper.
Lucy kissed him back with everything she had, as one word looped on repeat in her head: finally.
Chapter 24
Lucy
The rain is vicious against our windshield and I try not to betray my nervousness as I glance down at my phone.
Reece doesn’t look away from the windshield, but his peripheral vision must notice. “Oscar again?”
Ugh. Oscar.
After nothing for days, Oscar’s apparently realized he acted like a tool and wants me back. I’m inclined to think the other girl realized he was a piece of crap and walked away. Had the guy chased after me then, I still wouldn’t have taken him back, but the fact that he waited for days? Pass.
Reece had finally caved, asked why my phone was blowing up, but after I told him, had merely muttered “That fucker,” and not mentioned it again.
“Nah. I bloc
ked him,” I say tapping my nails against the screen.
Reece whistles. “Damn. Cutthroat. You block me back then?”
“Didn’t have to. You didn’t exactly chase me down.”
He doesn’t deny it, and we fall back into tense silence as the rain pounds harder.
It’s been like this ever since our kiss, both of us lost in thought as we made our way to our next stop, retreating to our respective motel rooms. I spent the evening watching a weird documentary on the chocolate-making process, followed by Armageddon (classic), and talking myself into not knocking on Reece’s door like I wanted to.
The tension eased slightly when we met up for breakfast this morning, both of us committed to making polite small talk, but I think we both prefer the silence.
I look at my phone as it buzzes once more. “It’s my mom again,” I say with a sigh. “Says there’s a bunch of severe weather warnings coming our way.”
He laughs softly. “What, did she put a GPS tracker on Horny?”
“Nah, but you know Delia. Demands regular check-ins, knowing where we are, what we’re doing, who’s driving, how fast they’re driving.”
“The speed limit. Always.”
I snort. The only attention Reece seems to pay to the speed limit is to go at least ten over.
Not so much now, however. What should have been an easy drive is anything but. The rain’s been constant, and just when I think it can’t possibly come down any harder, it does.
I suck in my breath as we pass a semi, its giant tires kicking up a deluge of water onto the windshield that temporarily puts our visibility at zero.
I give a nervous look at Reece, and though he doesn’t say a word, his knuckles seem to be a little bit white on the steering wheel.
We finally creep past the semi, and the visibility improves, but only slightly. There’s still nothing but a blur on the windshield, and though I’ve never really considered myself the anxious sort, I finally acknowledge what’s been looming for the past hour.
“I’m kind of freaking out here,” I tell Reece. “Can we pull over? Wait the rain out a bit?”
He doesn’t answer right away, but either he hears the nervousness in my voice or he too wants a break from the doomsday weather, because he slowly makes his way over to the right lane, and then onto the nearest off-ramp.
I’m thinking maybe we kill time at McDonald’s or Taco Bell, but Reece surprises me by pulling into the parking lot of a non-chain, a little roadside diner that looks like it used to be adorable and is now simply tired.
I look toward the backseat and purse my lips as I realize I have absolutely no clue which box my umbrella might be in. Or if it even made the trip. Some of my stuff my parents will be shipping later.
Reece reaches behind my seat, pulling his jacket out. “Put this over your head.”
I take it as he shoves it at my chest. “But it’s leather.”
“You’re shitting me. It is?”
I roll my eyes at the sarcasm. “You love this thing. I’m not going to use it as an umbrella.”
Reece shrugs. “Suit yourself.”
Without another word, he shoves open his door and steps into the pounding rain wearing only a T-shirt and jeans.
The door slams on my protest, and I scramble after him, hesitating only briefly before holding his jacket over my head and dashing across the parking lot after him.
Holy frick, I’ve never in my life seen rain like this. Thunder cracks loud and angry just as I catch up to Reece.
He opens the door for me, and I dash inside before pulling his coat from over my head. I start to hand it to him, then burst out laughing when I see him.
He’s drenched. Water’s running down his face, his shirt has gone from perfectly dry to all the way wet in the fifteen seconds it took him to get from the car to the diner.
Before I can consider my actions, I run a hand over his short hair, laughing more as water sprays everywhere.
“You’re soaked,” I say, my hand already going to pluck at the shirt at his shoulder, wanting to see if it’s as wet as it looks.
His fingers wrap around my wrist, yanking my hand away before I can touch him. My laughter dies as I meet his eyes: they’re blue and blazing. “I can play nice for the next week until we get to California, but not when you touch me.”
I tug my hand back. “Really. Then what was that yesterday when you were all over me? Or the night before that on the dance floor?”
His eyes cool. “Mistakes.”
I open my mouth to fire back that they didn’t feel like mistakes, but luckily I’m saved from uttering that stupid statement by the approach of a tired but friendly-looking waitress. “This is a seat-yourself joint, kids. Wherever you like.”
Reece nods in thanks and claims a nearby booth without looking at me.
I slide onto the cracked vinyl bench across from him, stubbornly ignoring the way his shirt clings to his pecs. He wants no touching. Fine. I’ll raise him one. No looking either. I’m not even going to be aware of him.
Only, that doesn’t seem to be going both ways, because I suddenly realize he’s very aware of me and my wet shirt. The jacket covered my head, but with the rain coming down hard every which way, my tank top got a bit…clingy. Unable to resist, I arch my back oh so slightly under the guise of stretching after a long day in the car.
I think I hear him groan softly before he picks up the menu the waitress has set down.
“Can I get you kids something to drink?”
I smile, because she looks to be about a hundred, and we probably do seem like kids to her.
“Diet Coke, please.”
“Regular Coke for me,” Reece says, flashing her a friendly smile. “I like the real stuff.”
I blink a little. When was the last time I saw him smile like that? Wide and unabashed, maybe a little flirtatious?
I mean, he flirts with me, but there’s always an edge, as though we’re engaged in a battle of wills at the same time.
The waitress slaps his arm. “Save it for the pretty girl. I’m old enough to know better about boys that look like you.”
It’s my turn to smile up at her. “Well, Darla,” I say, after a quick glance at her name tag. “Wish I’d met you a few years ago, so I’d have known that this one came with a warning label.”
“Don’t mind her,” Reece says in a bored tone, turning his attention back to the menu. “Just make sure to double her order. Half for her, half for the baggage she insists on carrying around.”
Darla moves away with a clicking of her tongue, and I kick Reece under the table. “Really?”
He lowers the menu only slightly to meet my eyes. “Any chance we can have this meal in silence?”
In response I reach out, shove the menu onto the table so I can see his face, ignoring his sigh.
“Yes, Lucy?” he asks with exaggerated patience.
I fold my hands. “Thank you for driving today.”
Reece’s head tilts back, looking at the peeling ceiling in exasperation. “This, after days of you bitching about me not letting you drive?”
I look out the window at the angry rain. “I didn’t want to drive in that.”
His gaze follows mine. “It is crazy. Since your mom’s taking up meteorology while we’re on this road trip, did she tell you when it was supposed to let up?”
“Nope, but she did order me to download no fewer than five weather apps on my phone,” I say, picking up the iPhone and clicking on one of them.
“What?” Reece asks when I frown.
I turn my screen around so he can see what I’m looking at. The app’s zeroed in on our location, and there are two red exclamation points and one orange one.
“What are we dealing with?” he asks. “Locusts? Famine?”
“Severe thunderstorm, flash floods and…oh this is nice. Tornado warning,” I read.
“Shit,” he mutters, picking up his menu again.
Darla comes back with our sodas, and I order a grilled cheese
with bacon, while Reece gets a burger.
“What’s the verdict on the weather?” I ask Darla, as she scribbles our orders. “Going to let up?”
She looks out the window, tapping her pen. “Where you kids headed?”
“Kansas City.”
She purses her lips. “Wouldn’t do it. Wouldn’t advise my kids to do it, not my grandkids either. Been like this since last night, river’s high, freeway’s flooded in a couple spots.”
Darla shrugs, then shuffles away in her bright white tennis shoes, already hollering our order toward the kitchen.
“Well that’s encouraging,” I say.
“It’s just rain,” Reece says.
The weather gods disagree, and the entire diner lights up with a flash of lightning followed by a clap of thunder that sounds like it’s right on top of us. The rain pounds even harder against the window.
I reach for my straw, tapping it against the table to poke it through the wrapper before plunging it into my soda. “So you never did tell me. You ever talk to Abby?”
Reece’s Coke stops halfway to his mouth. “Seriously? Now? Here?”
I bite my lip and fidget with the wrapper. “Guess it’s been on my mind. Because of Oscar,” I clarify quickly, lest he guess I’ve been thinking about yesterday’s kiss on the highway over and over and over.
He narrows his eyes, and I know he has zero intention of answering my question. I can see it in the stubborn set of his jaw, even before he snaps back. “That’s no longer your business.”
“How can you say that?” I ask. “Considering she’s the cause of us breaking up.”
“Bullshit,” he snaps, before lowering his voice and leaning forward. “You’re the reason we…broke up. Shit, were we even dating?”
I lean forward. “I sure as hell thought so when I handed over my V card.”
His eyes narrow. “You act like you handed it over easily. Like it didn’t take me all goddamn summer to get into your pants.”
I smile slowly, because though his words are cruel, his eyes are warm, and I happen to know that those months of foreplay were very enjoyable. For both of us.
“So you remember.”
His eyes go dark. “Hell yeah, I remember. Every damned thing. The way you kiss, the way you taste, the sounds you make. I remember the look in your eyes the first time I nudged inside you, surprise and excitement, and…”
