Page 40 of Second Chance

It’s my turn to fumble and I step on her toes. “What?!” I choke.

“Never mind.”

I stop us for a second and stare down at her. “Mati, if you aren’t ready to jump in feet first, maybe just dip a toe in the water. See what you think. Pretend a little.”

Mati’s brow pinches and she looks out to the lake at our side. “I guess. I mean, I think I’m ready to try. I just don’t think I’m ready for anything long term.” I don’t want to ask if she has someone in mind for her experiment, but I’m a willing man. If she isn’t interested in long term, there’s no one more temporary than me. With another song in my head, I twirl her around, making Mati sway with me again.

“I love that song,” she whispers, and I peer down at her.

“What song?” I ask, confused.

“The one you’re singing. ‘Dancing in the Dark’ by Ed Sheeran.”

“I was singing?” I’m shocked. I haven’t really sung since leaving the band ten years ago. I might harmonize when I’m listening to music at home, alone, but not outside, not in public. Not with others.

“Yep. In the car you were singing, too.” She pauses as my brows raise. I was? “You have a nice voice. I don’t remember it so deep, and I only heard you sing the one time.”

The concert in Atlanta. The one I didn’t know she attended. The one where I refused the admittance of a group of girls.

“I’m sorry about Atlanta. I didn’t know you guys were there.”

“It was a long time ago,” Mati says, dismissing it with her tone.

“I’m getting tired of that excuse,” I admit, and I am. Too much time has passed, and I’ve missed so many things. Leaving Blue Ridge behind because of my dad forced me to lose more than just him. I spin us in the glow of the headlights, and I twirl Mati away from me before tugging her back. Our movements are fluid, practiced, as if I’ve never left her and we’re still teens…dancing in the dark.

When she turns in my arms, I hold her a little closer, her heavy breasts pressed against my chest.

“Can I ask you something else?” My voice breaks, nearly cracking like I’m a teen again and I swallow my nerves.

“Of course.” She shrugs within my arms.

“Can I have a second chance at that kiss?” I really botched the opportunity, and with her asking me for it, I can’t waste another minute. I need to take back what I lost and fix it.

“Okay,” she hesitates, but I don’t want her concerned. I won’t mess up again. My hands release her waist and my fingers cup her neck. My thumbs stroke over her skin, and she swallows, allowing me to relish the roll. She’s nervous but she wants this, wants me, at least thiswith me, and I don’t want to disappoint her.

“I’ve missed you, Mati,” I admit, but I don’t allow her to respond. I don’t want to know if she never missed me. Not yet. My mouth covers hers—softer, sweeter, gentler—taking my time to press on the curves of her sensitive skin, tugging it back with mine. She wavers, but I continue. I’m still the man thirsting in the heat, but I use more self-control this time. I open, taking in more of her, and dragging out the pull of her bottom lip. She makes a sound, a low rumble, almost a purr, and I smile against her.

My wild cat. My spice.

My tongue stretches forward, licking the outline of her bottom lip, unlocking her mouth. When she opens, I press inward, searching, seeking, and I’m not disappointed when she meets me. The connection is a trigger, and Mati leans into me, her fingers fisting in my shirt. Her head tilts of its own accord and the kiss deepens as our tongues take over our dance. Mati is kissing me back, open-mouthed, and tongue-wild, and for a moment, I wonder if she’s as thirsty as me. We drink each other in, hands beginning to roam. Mine slip from her neck to wrap around her, pressing at her lower back to bring her closer. Hers move to my biceps, squeezing at the muscle as if tugging me to her.

Within seconds, I slip both hands behind her thighs, never releasing her lips, and lift her upward. She squeaks into my mouth and I chuckle with the reverberation. Her legs wrap around my waist and I walk us to the hood of my car. Normally, I’d never set anything on it, but Mati is the exception. She’s been the exception to everything and this kiss proves I’ve missed out on so much more than I ever knew. I should have never walked away. I should have never listened to Chris. I should have taken her with me.

As her backside settles on the front of the Beast, her legs release my hips but remain straddled on either side of my thighs as I stand between her open legs. I want to take advantage of her in a million ways on this hood—entering her as we stand and then flipping her to bend over and take her from behind. My dick nearly weeps, but tonight, we won’t get so far, and I know this the instant my hand lowers for her breast.

Subtler than the hungry fumbling of a fourteen-year old, I take my time to travel down her curves, pausing over the hill of one swell, and swiping a finger through the valley between them. Circling the heavy weight before palming the peak and covering the entire globe, I tug quickly, pinching an already pointed nipple and then Mati pulls back.

“Denton, I…” Her voice falters, and I’m propelled back to being fourteen.

“We can stop.” I’d never rush her and pause when I realize speed isn’t the issue. Something in her face tells me it’s more. “We aren’t doing anything wrong, Mati.” I believe that. With my whole being, I know we aren’t cheating. We aren’t sneaking. We aren’t anything. Chris is gone.

“Then why do I feel so guilty?”

And that’s when it hits me. He isn’t gone. Not to her. He’s very present between us. She doesn’t see me.

“We should go,” I comment, ignoring her question. Another memory is about to be left behind.