Page 11 of Make it a Double

“Why are we stopping? Are we stuck?” I glanced around nervously.

This was why I liked to keep both feet on the ground. I didn’t even like flying, for fucks sake. What was I supposed to do if we got stuck? There was no way I’d be able to climb down this thing, which wouldn’t even be an option if I could. This wasn’t a fucking movie.

I wiped my sweaty palms on my thighs, trying miserably to control the rising panic currently overriding my nervous system. It couldn’t differentiate between a rickety fair ride and free-falling hundreds of feet to my death. Each thundering heart beat sent a new wave of misplaced adrenaline coursing through my body. “We’re going to die, aren’t we?”

“We’re not going to die,” she chuckled. Her face sobered as she looked my way. I wasn’t sure what she saw—maybe it was my white-knuckled grip on the railing or how I struggled to take a full breath—but it had her springing into action. “Hey, breathe,” Sawyer murmured.

She shifted gently in her seat and took my face between her hands, leaving me no choice but to focus all my attention on her. Her touch was soft. Reverent, even. It was enough to make me focus on the gentle fingers on my cheek rather than our impending doom.

“With me, okay? In for one, two, three…” She sucked in a deep breath before letting it go slowly. “And out for one, two, three…” I followed her instructions, letting the fresh air and her sweet, tender voice ground me. “One more time. Focus on me, okay?”

I wondered what she must’ve thought about me. Having a panic attack on our first date wasn’t really the precedent I wanted to set. Not that it mattered because we wouldn’t see each other after tonight, but I hated thinking that I’d ruined what little time we had together.

We sat in silence for a moment before Sawyer offered a tentative smile. God, she really was beautiful. “How are you doing?”

“Better now,” I said, carefully sitting up a little straighter. The carriage rocked slightly as it moved, but it was much smoother than I expected. “Sorry about that. I’m not really good with heights. I got trapped in the glass elevator at my dad’s office when I was a kid. I could see the whole city, and it kind of stuck with me.”

“Then why did you agree to come on this with me?” she asked.

I shrugged. It’d never occurred to me to say no. Especially not when it was something she was clearly looking forward to. “You asked me to. I didn’t want to disappoint you.”

“Oh, Beckett…” Sawyer gripped my hand and intertwined our fingers. “I never would’ve asked if I knew.”

“How many times am I going to get the chance to face my fears with a pretty girl to comfort me?” She rolled her eyes, and I smirked. “Besides, if we’re taking the bucket list seriously, a ferris wheel ride is kind of at the top of the list. It’d be a disservice to the cliché not to do it.”

Sawyer glanced down at my lips. “Is it just the ride itself that’s cliché, or is there another part to it?”

“I feel like there’s something else, but I just can’t remember,” I murmured, leaning in. Between my panic attack and now, we’d drifted closer. I could smell her fruity shampoo on the breeze. Could feel the heat radiating from her skin. The slight sheen of sweat lining her palms. Or maybe it was mine. I honestly wasn’t sure.

Just then, a loud pop exploded. We both turned just as the first firework fizzled out and a second quickly followed. “Oh, my god. Look!” Sawyer pointed excitedly as they continued filling the night sky with multi-hued glitter, like artificial stars lighting up the darkness. They were gorgeous. Truly.

But they didn’t hold a candle to Sawyer.

Without thinking, I cupped her jaw, turning her face back toward me. She didn’t resist my pull. Didn’t argue with me, push me away, or tell me to watch the fireworks. I counted the freckles spread across her cheeks, wanting to savor this moment of peace that I wasn’t sure I deserved, but couldn’t help myself from taking.

The night was nearly over, and I still hadn’t kissed her. There was no way in hell I could let that pass me by. A notion sweet Sawyer seemed to share.

Her lips parted, fingers threading themselves into my hair, as we collided with one another. The kiss started slow, but our hesitation only lasted for a second. Once I had her taste on my tongue, I couldn’t help but want more.

Despite the noise from the fairground, the ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’ from the crowd below, and the hammering of my heart in my ears, I couldn’t focus on anything or anyone but Sawyer. She kissed with passion, further tangling her fingers in my hair and pulling me closer as if she couldn’t get enough.

The carriage came to a stop near the top, and Sawyer hesitated for a moment. I assumed she wanted to look out over the town, to take in the sights, but I was wrong. She took full advantage of the lack of motion, climbing onto my lap instead. The evidence of my arousal was fucking unmistakable as she ground down against me. “Fuck, baby,” I whimpered against her lips. “Careful now.”

Sawyer pulled back, those innocent doe eyes impossibly wide. “Did I do something wrong? Did I hurt you?” She tried scrambling off me, but I gripped her waist, keeping her trapped where she was. Hell, I didn’t want her to move. I just didn’t want to come in my pants at the top of a fucking ferris wheel, and her eagerness had me damn near ready to blow.

“The opposite, actually,” I chuckled, shifting my hips so she felt just how much she affected me. She glanced down, mouth forming a cute O shape as she realized what I was saying. “Yeah. Oh.”

Her lips quirked, one side lifting in a devastatingly cute little smirk. “Do you, uh, want to stop?”

“Absolutely the fuck not,” I growled, making her laugh. Her dimples came out when she smiled. Something I hadn’t noticed before. “I just need you to slow down for a minute. We’ve got all the time in the world.”

That was a lie. We didn’t even have twenty-four hours, but saying that out loud would be an immediate mood killer, and I wasn’t ready for this to be over yet. Hell, getting stuck up here had started to sound good because it meant we’d have more time.

Sawyer looked like she wanted to correct me, but I lifted my hips and brought her back to the moment. “Stay with me here, sugar. Don’t go getting lost in that pretty head of yours.”

“That’s the second time you’ve called me that, you know.”

One of my hands greedily traveled up the length of her body, appreciating the way she went pliant beneath my touch. I gripped her chin, pulling her in for a languid kiss. “I have a bit of a sweet tooth.” I stole another kiss, letting my tongue skim across her bottom lip. “I just can’t get enough of you.”