Page 5 of Only Be Mine

“Yeah. I think so. You?”

“Well,” he said seriously for one terrifying second, “I can’t feel my legs.”

My heart dropped…

Then he laughed. “Other than that, I’m fantastic.”

“Oh my God.” I tried to scramble up, then froze when I realized I was literally pinning him down. “I’m the reason you can’t move.”

Still smiling, a pair of dimples creasing his cheeks, he admitted, “Guilty.”

Heat rushed up my neck. I rolled off him and landed on the floor, burying my face in my hands. “I swear I’m not usually this pathetic.”

“You’re not pathetic,” he said, not teasing, not amused.

It was like he actually meant it.

He stood and brushed off his jeans, then offered me his hand. “Here. Let me help you up.”

I took it, my whole body buzzing. “Thanks. Sorry again.”

“No harm done,” he said, easily. “Let’s get you out of here.”

He let me hold onto his arm through the last few rooms. I told myself it was just the adrenaline, just the dark. But when his hand adjusted slightly, careful and sure, I didn’t pull away.

Cold air hit my face as we stepped outside. Snow was falling again, soft and quiet, like the world had reset itself.

“Cate!” Amy’s voice rang out from the line.

I froze.

My hand was still wrapped around this stranger’s arm. And he was… wow. Tall. Broad shoulders. Light brown hair threaded with gold. A denim jacket lined with shearling.

My face heated and I quickly let go.

“I-I need to get to my friend,” I said, already backing away. “She’ll have a field day if she sees all this.”

He smiled like he understood completely.

I hurried across the lot toward Amy, trying to pretend I wasn’t still buzzing - from fear, from laughter, from him.

“Who’s your friend?” she called out as soon as I reached her, eyes sparkling.

Before I could answer, footsteps crunched through the snow behind me.

The stranger stopped a few feet away and offered Amy his hand. “Hi. I’m John.”

Amy shook it, grinning at me over his shoulder. “Nice to meet you, John. How do you two know each other?”

“We bumped into each other,” he said smoothly. “Inside.”

I shot him a grateful look. He returned it.

“We should probably go,” I said quickly, reaching for Amy. “It was nice meeting you.”

John lifted my hand and kissed my knuckles. “The pleasure was all mine.”

My knees nearly gave out.