My head tilted. “How do you know what Midol is?”
He chuckled, and his eyes sparkled because, of course, they did. “I grew up with three sisters, Lilah. I know more about periods than I should and learned it all against my will.”
“Actually, I do need something.”
“What?”
I hooked a finger in his chain and tugged him closer. “A kiss.” The world slowed to nothing but the press of his lips on mine. “One more,” I whispered, not ready to let this moment go.
“Greedy girl,” he murmured, smiling against my lips.
But when he pulled away, he bit his lip while staring at mine, his voice husky. “I think I need one more, too.”
“Greedy boy,” I teased.
“Yeah, sugar, I am.” I laughed, breathless, and let him kiss me again. And again. Each kiss was sweeter than the last. We kissed until I was dizzy from it, until my chest ached with how badly I wanted to stay right here in this little bubble of perfection. I felt like a middle schooler discovering kissing for the first time all over again.
He leaned back, looking at me as if he were memorizing me—this moment. He brushed my hair back, his fingertips grazing my skin like I was something precious. “Your hair looks like fire when the sun hits it,” he whispered, twirling a piece around his finger. “It’s beautiful.”
My heart swelled so hard it scared me. Because I wanted to believe the adoration in his eyes. I wanted to believe all of it. Believe that maybe he could feel the way I did. But if I stayedin this moment a second longer, I might tell him everything I wasn’t ready to say. So I stood too quickly, smoothing my hair, trying to act casual even though my pulse was hammering in my ears.
“I should get back to work,” I murmured. “I’ve got a new sponsor to hunt down, remember?”
“Okay.” His smile was still there, unbothered. “Text me if you need anything?”
Absolutely not. “Of course,” I lied.
He kissed my cheek gently, a featherlight brush that left goosebumps in its wake. “See you later, sugar.”
When the door shut behind him, I collapsed into my chair, burying my face in my hands. My lips still tingled, my heart still raced.
“What the hell are you doing?” I whispered to myself.
14
Ch 13 - Emmett
“My ass is numb,” Colt grumbled, munching on chips while he stared out of his windshield. “I can’t believe you convinced me to do this.”
“If I remember correctly, it didn’t take much convincing,” I murmured between bites of my sandwich Brittany made. She had packed us paper bag lunches as if we were first graders going on a field trip. Apparently, she did it every time Colt went on a stakeout, which was rare. She drew smiley faces and stars on my bag and hearts all over Colt’s.
I was half-tempted to send a picture of it to Delilah, but she’d been a little distant the last two days. I just chalked it up to her period. I had to, or I’d read into it too much.
And I hadn’t told her we were doing this.
We were two hours away from Wild Creek…in Dallas…a few houses down from Ethan Carmichael’s house. Naturally, he lived in a swanky millionaire’s neighborhood. We’d already been sitting here for an hour and a half, and I was starting to worry that Colt had been right and that this was a waste of time.
My phone lit up, and I sucked an Oreo crumb straight into my throat at the image of Delilah in her shower. She was lookinginto the camera with the most hypnotic look I’d ever seen, her plump bottom lip between her teeth, and those piercings glinting in the low light.
“Come clean me up?” she’d written.
I locked my phone between coughs, trying not to die by way of cookie. It’d be too ironic and honestly embarrassing if that’s what took me out after the shit I’d lived through overseas.
“Shit, dude, are you okay?” I nodded, chugging water. “What the hell was that on your phone?”
I ran a hand over my mouth, looking out my window. “Nothing.” Just the hottest picture I’d ever gotten in my life. I hadn’t gotten a nude in ages, so naturally, Delilah would send one when I was hours away on a stakeout for her.
“Yeah, becausenothingmakes you nearly choke on a cookie.”
