Page 46 of Dandelions and Smoke

“This is their first time having it open for the holidays,” I clarify.

She blinks, realization hitting her before a lopsided smile replaces the confusion.

“Aw, and here I thought this was where you bring all your one-night stands.” Her eyes sparkle playfully, a mischievous grin spreading across her face as I register what she’s said.

Heat floods my face, but moves lower as my eyes lock onto where she pulls the corner of her bottom lip between her teeth. She knows she’s so much more than a one-night stand. I don’t bother falling into her impish trap. There’s no point when I’m already caught in the one she never even knew she set. The one I fell into that very first night, and somehow have yet to stop falling.

I exhale a long breath with my lips tilted up. My brows rise, and my eyes squeeze shut. Her sense of humor is refreshing. The way she says exactly what she’s thinking with effortless comedic timing stirs a part of me that used to be playful, that used to know how to have fun. She brings pieces of me back to life that, until she came along, I thought had gone dormant for good. She giggles, and I open my eyes to look at her.

“Get over here.” I give in to what I want and pull her onto my lap so that her feet now rest on the passenger seat.

Placing my hands around her waist, my fingers trail slightly beneath her shirt. I don’t do it on purpose, but she’s so small that, in comparison to my hands, it’s almost impossible for me to be appropriate.

“Sir, this is a family establishment,” she gasps, drawing her hand to rest over her heart before breaking into a small chuckle. “Just kidding. I love the Grinch, but I’m not going to complain if you want to see what else can grow three sizes tonight.”

“That’s good because I really like it when you call me sir,” I admit, a craving to taste her so strong it overwhelms me until I’m sure my grip around her hip bones might leave a mark. The way she leans into me tells me she wouldn’t mind that at all. Fighting the pull to put the car in drive and get out of here early, I try to focus on something else… and fail.

Instead, I dip my head and pull her into a kiss. It’s needier than the others we’ve shared since reuniting, filled with a promise of what’s to come. The silent anticipation of what we both want builds with a fervor. Her hands come up and run over my face and into my hair while my hands continue their perusal of her hips and ass as I grind her down on top of me. By the time we pull apart, the lights outside have dimmed, and we’re both breathless.

“Okay, maybe we actually should get out of here before we’re added to some permanent naughty list. I can’t have Santa sending me coal. I’m a good girl.” She beams.

Every word out of her mouth sends a jolt of excitement through me. It’s impossible to hide my amusement.

“What’s so funny?”

“I’m just thinking about what a good girl you are,” I tease, my laughter vibrating through my chest against her.

Her mouth falls open, but she quickly recovers from her surprise. “And I’d reward you for it, if we weren’t sitting in this truck.”

I continue my exploration of her skin beneath my fingertips, tracing small paths, watching her as though I’m testing her ability to stay focused. Tilting my face into the crook of her neck, I place a small kiss above her collarbone, and another, and another, traveling up until I reach her ear. Her breath hitches, and as she inhales sharply, satisfaction surges deep within me at the way she responds to my touch.

“These windows are tinted,” I whisper, a sly grin on my lips that turns into a laugh as she spins her head around lightning fast to look over her shoulder and through my window.

“Are you serious? That’s a relief. Here I thought we’d end up—you didn’t tell me they serve fresh popcorn here!”

She switches gears so fast I almost miss it, but her head follows the direction of her gaze until she’s almost completely horizontal across my lap. Her sight is locked onto the people who have passed us with the fresh bags of popcorn, and her neck cranes to see where they are going and then again to figure out where they came from. Stretched this way, her sweater rises, revealing her midsection, and seriously, if anyone could hear my thoughts right now, they’d think I was some college kid rather than a grown man.

“I want popcorn,” she says, her voice laced with surprised enthusiasm at this discovery.

“They also have hot chocolate,” I add, my stomach fluttering as I watch her eyes sparkle with excitement.

“Are you serious?” Her chin dips comically.

I place a kiss on her lips, unable not to now, it seems. “I’ll go get you some.”

She squeals and jumps off my lap and back into her seat.

Opening my door, she lets out a grunt.

“Go, go, go,” she says, shooing me off as the cold air finds her.

I stop to watch her tuck herself into a ball for warmth and laugh when something like a low growl rumbles from her throat.

“Are you growling at the cold?” My shoulders shake as I swallow my laughter.

She squints her eyes at me. “Go! You’re stealing my warmth!”

I’m still smiling as I walk into the snack bar. Once in line, I read the menu to see if there’s anything else she might like. Making her smile, seeing that light in her eyes, may be my favorite thing in the world, but when I’m the reason it’s there, that’s something else entirely that I don’t have words for.