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She sighed quietly and hung her head. “We should just call it a night. I got what I needed. Everything can go back to normal now.”
I reached into the cab and grabbed her arm. I pulled. It was too easy to wrench her tiny body from the car.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Her voice had gone up about three octaves.
“It’s not time to go home yet.”
I dug out my wallet with my other hand and pulled out a twenty. I threw it inside the cab and waved him off.
“That was the only cab. How am I supposed to go home now?” Her foot did a cute little stomp on the ground.
She wasn’t getting away so easily. I had refrained from prying about the real reason why we were out—the list—but if I was going to get ditched, she at least owed me the truth.
“Tell me about the list?”
I needed to know. I needed to know why she had it and why she was hiding from it.
“I-I-I…” Her stutter was cute. The way she moved her lips, talking to herself instead of answering my question, was even cuter.
I let go of her forearm and she rubbed the spot where I had manhandled her. I’d never touched a woman with anything but a respectful touch, ever, even during rough sex. Unless she wanted me to. I’d been with a couple of spankers in my time.
With a heavy sigh of resignation, she said, “My grandmother died. Just after Christmas.”
Shit. And I was being such an asshole. “I’m sorry.”
She nodded. “Along with the deed to her house, she left me the bucket list.”
That explained the old lady furniture.
“She stipulated that I have to finish it before I graduate. No explanation.” She threw her arms up in the air. “It’s cryptic, but there was always a method to her madness, and I’m not going to doubt her now.”
“But you haven’t checked any of them off.”
She fisted her cute, little hands at her sides. “I know. I just…” She looked up at me, appreciation in her eyes. “I just had no idea where to start.” She snorted. That cute little sound that always escaped her lips whenever I did something to amuse her. “I thought maybe she sent you on purpose. I wouldn’t put it past her.”
“The list doesn’t seem very difficult.” I tapped my chin. “It looks like it would be a good time.”
As of yesterday, I could have checked off every single item except for one. And tonight, after my date with Everly, the list would have been complete.
“Maybe for someone like you.” She let out a heavy breath. “I can’t remember the last time I had fun.” She walked away, closer to the brick wall, but her body remained tense. Her eyes were distant again, like she was thinking about something else even though she was deep in conversation with me. “She was always telling me to live life. I never listened.”
I had told her the same thing.
“Look, you don’t have to pretend you care. You’ve played your part. The date is over. You can go back to your real world now. A world where a guy like you would never be with a girl like me.”
She kept saying that—a guy like me. Exactly what kind of guy did she think I was?
“You think I don’t want you?” She was insane. She was the exact opposite of what I thought I wanted, but I wanted her anyway.
I pulled her against me and nuzzled her neck. She smelled like oranges. Never had the smell of citrus caused a stir of desire in my pants. I couldn’t deny it anymore.
I kissed her jaw then her chin, moving my lips slowly toward hers, fully expecting her to push me away, but she didn’t. She sighed and whimpered, let down her guard for a moment, and I took advantage of that. I pressed my lips against hers. Softly at first. When she moved into me, pressed her chest against my body, I enveloped her in my arms and deepened the kiss.
I pulled her closer, harder, fully aware that my hard-on pressed against the softness of her. I couldn’t think. Just act.
Instinctively, her legs wrapped around my hips when I lifted her. I took us the few feet to the brick wall. I placed her gently against it then, pressing my hands on either side of her face, I pushed out my pelvis to support her body. I pulled away, only for a moment. Her eyes were closed and her mouth was pursed. Desire radiating from every molecule. When she pulled back and opened her eyes, my chest tightened and my heart threatened to pound out of my chest.
“Wow…” I whispered silently, coaxing a smile from the beautiful, unassuming face that stared back at me.
