Page 42 of Sparks Fly

Same brand. Same label. And it was unopened. Which made me wonder if she bought it thinking maybe I’d end up here eventually. Because every time I’d seen her out, she drank red wine and nothing else.

“I’d love some whiskey,” I said.

She cracked the seal open and poured some into a low glass before grabbing a wine glass for herself and filling it almost halfway with red wine.

“You drink whiskey?” I asked when she handed me the glass.

“Not really.” She leaned one hip against the counter. “But I picked it up recently.”

I looked down at the bottle again before lifting my gaze back to her. “Good choice.”

“Is it?” she asked, and there was that look again. The one that made every conversation feel like flirting even when it probably shouldn’t.

“Yeah,” I said with a grin. “It’s the same one I drink.”

Her eyebrow lifted slowly. “Well. That worked out conveniently.”

I laughed quietly and took a sip, still watching her over the rim of the glass.

“I was thinking maybe we could start Buffy,” she said after a moment. “If you want to.”

I blinked at her. “You actually want to watch Buffy with me?”

“I told you I would,” she said with a small smile. “I meant it.”

We settled onto the couch together a few minutes later. I stretched one arm across the back cushion while she tucked her legs underneath herself beside me. She wasn’t touching me, not exactly, but she sat close enough that I could feel the warmth of her there anyway, and it was impossible not to notice it.

“Okay,” I said, “Get ready to have your world changed.”

“Oh really, that’s a lot to say about a vampire show from the 90’s.” She laughed.

“Buffy is not just a vampire show from the 90’s.” I scoffed. “It’s a cinematic experience.”

I tried to focus on the television, but most of my attention stayed on her. I noticed the subtle shifts in her breathing and the way she gradually relaxed deeper into the couch. Eventually, she leaned a little closer.

By the second episode, her knee brushed against mine. She didn’t move away, so I let my hand rest lightly on her thigh and traced slow circles against her skin with my thumb. She inhaled sharply before leaning into me, her shoulder settling against my side. I brushed my lips gently against her temple before speaking.

“Can I kiss you?” I asked quietly.

She turned toward me with dark, steady eyes. “You better.”

The kiss began soft but the moment her mouth moved against mine, any careful restraint disappeared. Her fingers slid into my hair as she pulled me closer, and I wrapped my hands around her hips. She shifted easily into my lap until we were chest to chest.

Her kiss turned hungry in a way that made my head spin. When I caught her bottom lip, she let out a quiet sound that sent heat racing through my chest. She moved against me without hesitation. Her hands slid through my hair, along my jaw, and down my shoulders as though she couldn’t decide where she wanted them. I broke the kiss long enough to press my mouth against the side of her neck.

“Fuck” She moaned and the sound she made was so sweet.

“You kiss like a sin,” she murmured against my skin.

I kissed her again, the last of the distance between us disappearing as she melted what felt like impossibly closer, her hips moved in slow rhythm against mine and her breathing grew uneven.

Fuck this girl is going to kill me.

Eventually I pulled back enough for both of us to breathe. Our foreheads rested together while we caught out breath.

“If we don’t stop now,” I said quietly, “I’m not going to stop.”

She nodded but stayed close for another moment before shifting slightly. “Okay,” She said but nothing changed. She kissed me and ground down into me, “Addison,” I moaned her name.