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But because that sounded a little too close to the petulance of a kid denied his favorite candy bar, I remained silent.
We headed toward the rides just as one of the carnival workers yelled out that it was the last ride of the night.
“Ferris Wheel?” I stroked my hand down the long, loose length of her hair. “Maybe we can leave your new friend on the ground so I can kiss you at the top.”
She cast me a look under her lashes, her cheeks pink from either pleasure or the evening’s chill. November had started off cold this year, warning that winter wouldn’t be far behind. “Mr. Costas, that’s a surprisingly romantic suggestion from a hardened fighter such as yourself.”
From the sudden heat at the tips of my ears, it was my turn to flush. I disguised my reaction by pressing a quick kiss to the top of her head. “If you really want to talk about hard…”
She didn’t toss back a flirty comment as she would’ve before, just simply smiled and marched up to the operator of the Ferris wheel. “Sir, could you please help me?”
I didn’t know any red-blooded male who could say no to her. Or female, for that matter.
A moment later, she’d convinced the operator to keep an eye on her stuffed animal. She handed it over, and the guy stared after her with a dazed expression as she mounted the steps to the ride.
Instead of getting jealous, I smiled as I paid. “I know how you feel, buddy.” I patted him on the back.
“Oh, she’s yours?” There was no missing the longing in his voice.
My smile dimmed. “Right now, she is.”
Tomorrow would come soon enough.
Awkwardly, I wedged in beside her.
She smiled. “Sure you’re gonna fit, big man?”
“I would if I could sit you between my legs.”
“I’m pretty sure that’s not safe.” But she wiggled until half her body was draped over me and I fit into the seat. Not well, but I fit.
“This probably isn’t either, but I’ve got you.” I held her candy in one hand and hooked my other arm around her as the wheel started to move. “I won’t let you fall.”
Neither of us spoke as the wheel turned. As we climbed, I took in the lights of the city spread out in front of us with an awe I rarely felt anymore. The navy sky was studded with stars, as if someone had tossed a handful of diamonds and they’d scattered everywhere. Darkness hovered at the horizon, before opening up into a world of light and movement. Buildings speared up, so large on the ground and so small up here.
Just as I was small, one life out of billions.
The beauty that surrounded me staggered me. The dazzling play of lights, and reddish-gold curls that teased the back of my hand. With her laughter filling my head and her warmth tucked into my side, at that moment I couldn’t have asked for anything more.
Then she lifted her face and whispered, “Kiss me,” and I realized that I could.
Touching my mouth to hers was like breathing. It didn’t require thought. I leaned into her and let the kiss spin out, as tender and chaste as a junior high schooler’s after his first dance. There were no thrusting tongues, no roaming hands. Just the comfort and thrill of her lips heating under mine and returning the pleasure I gave her tenfold.
When the ride ended, we walked off hand-in-hand. The magic of spinning in the night air had restored some of the closeness we’d lost over the last week. I knew I shouldn’t have been happy about that, but I’d always been a contrary bastard.
We’d gotten about ten feet when she let out a squeal and untangled our fingers. “Spotty!”
Spotty, it turned out, was the Dalmatian we’d left behind. She ran back to get him from the ride operator, and we carted him and her candy to my truck.
The ride back to my place was quiet, but not like the ride to the carnival had been. This was a peaceful silence, broken occasionally by the sounds of Carly plowing through her cotton candy. She’d eaten more than half the bag by the time we arrived at my building.
“Sure you don’t want some?” she asked as we rode the elevator upstairs. “It’s almost gone.”
“There’s only one thing I want a taste of.” Slipping my fingers in the waistband of her skirt, I tugged her closer and swallowed her laughter with my mouth on hers.
Halfway through the kiss, I glanced down and saw the eager-eyed stuffed dog staring at me. Carly laughed harder as I pulled back.
“Don’t like an audience, huh?”
