I gave him my contact information and put his number in my phone. My fingers were trembling, but I managed to steady them long enough to make sure what I inputted was right. Once I double checked and triple checked, I reached for the door handle. It was like pushing my hand through molasses while hating ever second of it. I just wanted him to stop me—to say he craved everything I didn’t think I could go a second without—but my hand kept going, and then the door was open.
“Wait…” His words paused me in my tracks.
“Yeah?” I turned back, hoping—just praying—that he wasn’t going to let me leave.
“I need to help you down. You might fall.” He opened the door and quickly walked around to my side of the truck.
“Oops, I’m falling.” I grinned and half-fell, half-leaped into his arms—because I trusted him—for the first time, I could trust someone to catch me when I fell.
“Whoa.” His arms grabbed me before I moved more than a few inches in the air. “You must really want to find out what it feels like to land on concrete.”
“I knew you’d catch me.” I smiled as he safely put my feet on the ground.
“Your roommates shoes.” He motioned towards his truck.
“Can’t forget those.” I nodded and grabbed them.
“You’re very difficult to say goodnight to…” He wrapped his arms around my waist the second I turned back towards him.
“Probably because I don’t want to say goodnight.” I exhaled sharply.
One more kiss—at least. His lips devoured mine and my panties were starting to get so wet I was afraid they would be sagging between my thighs before I got into my car. When his lips finally pulled away, all I could do was stare at him as I struggled to draw a breath. A man as sexy as him, that was the total package in every way, was almost criminal. It was definitely criminal to say goodnight, but that was all I could do.
“Okay, I’m going now.” I fumbled with my keys and pulled them out of my purse.
“Me too.” He smiled and opened my door as I unlocked it.
But we didn’t leave—not in that minute. We kissed again and my head spun as I started thinking about all the things, he could do to me without us ever laying down on a mattress. He could pin me to the car—I could straddle his waist. The hood of my car wasn’t necessarily comfortable, but it would do. The filthy, dirty things running through my head were ridiculous, but that didn’t stop my brain from continuing to try and come up with new ways for me to lose my virginity before I went home.
“Okay…” He took a step back, but still held onto my hand. “Three months. We can do this.”
No. There’s no fucking way I can do that.
“Yeah.” I nodded, with an obvious lie pouring over my lips. “Three months.”
I climbed into my car and closed the door—catching my breath as I turned the key over in the ignition. I would have stared at him until he left, but he seemed intent on making sure I was the first one to leave. I relented and backed my car up. He followed me to the exit and then I turned left while he turned right. Each mile that passed beneath my tires felt like my heart was being stretched—trying desperately to reconnect to the man who had stolen it over the course of three letters and one incredible night.
“How was your date!?” Lola met me at the door. “I didn’t get an SOS text, so I haven’t popped the cork on a bottle of wine.”
“No, I don’t need wine.” I shook my head back and forth. “It was—incredible.”
“Yay!” Lola grabbed me for a hug. “Wait, why are you carrying my shoes—and where did you getthoseshoes?”
“These heels are definitely not for me.” I put them in her hands. “I broke one of them too.”
“What?” She turned them over in a panic.
“I got them fixed—well, Cain did.” I smiled and nodded.
“Okay, tell me everything!” Lola grabbed my hand and dragged me towards the living room.
I filled her in on the details that I felt comfortable sharing. I really didn’t know how to put the things going on inside of me into words. I assumed Lola would understand since she had a lot more experience than I did, but I still held back. I just told her how great he was, how unbelievably attractive—how sweet—how kind—and how much I wanted to see him again. My phone buzzed in my hand while I was talking to her, and my words trailed off as I looked at the screen.
Cain: Thinking about you…
Chloe: Talking about you…
Cain: Oh?
