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Everything was buzzing inside me, and my legs turned to jelly. So, wrapping my arms around him was as much about support as it was about desire. He was strong and solid, and smelled like coconut sunscreen and summer.
This kiss . . . it was rollercoaster. We’d crested the first big hill together, and now we were being pulled through the twists and turns at a speed that felt dangerous. Exhilarating.
Maybe out of control.
The intensity built as he shuffled us a few steps across the asphalt, and then suddenly the window of a parked car was hot against my back.
I hadn’t a clue whose car he was pressing me against, and in that moment, I couldn’t care less. Preston’s kiss was shockingly hungry and wordlessly demanded I keep up with it. It made me chase my breath to the point I grew lightheaded.
He was a guy who knew how to kiss, and I instantly wondered what else he was good at. After Cassidy, he’d developed a bit of a reputation of sleeping around. I didn’t judge him for that. He’d come off such a long-term relationship, maybe he’d felt the urge to make up for lost time.
I’d had my arms around his back, but I moved a hand around his body, gliding it up to rest on the center of his toned chest. Beneath my palm, his heart was racing nearly as fast as mine was, and warmth spread through me. It was nice to know I had this effect on him.
I curled the cotton of his t-shirt into my fist, needing something to grip as I endured his wild, reckless kiss. There was so much passion, if anyone saw us, they’d probably stop in their tracks and stare in amazement.
Perhaps he’d had a similar thought, because suddenly Preston was no longer kissing me. He’d broken it off and stepped back so abruptly, I swayed and leaned against the car to keep myself upright. I peered at him while being full of questions, only it was obvious he didn’t have any answers.
He looked . . . baffled.
Like he hadn’t expected our kiss to be that urgent, or desperate, and certainly not as hot as it had ended up being.
It’d caught him off-balance, and he took another step back, raking a hand through his hair. Maybe he’d done it to neaten his appearance, but it had the opposite effect. The strands were disheveled now, and it added another layer to his unsettled demeanor.
Why was he looking at me like that kiss scared the hell out of him?
Instinctively, I lifted a hand and touched my fingertips to my lips, like I wanted to feel if the warmth of him still lingered there. Proof of what had just happened.
“What was that?” I whispered through my fingers.
His shoulders rose and fell with his hurried breath. “Something I shouldn’t have done.”
Anxiety straightened my posture and my hand fell away from my mouth. “What? Why not?”
He blinked away the fog in his eyes, and then his gaze sharpened on me. It made me feel like I’d asked a stupid question. His tone turned serious, and he set his hands on his waist, giving me a stern look. “You’re Colin’s little sister.”
“So?” That hadn’t bothered him when he’d had his tongue in my mouth. “He wouldn’t care if we wanted to date,” I lied.
It was like I’d thrown a bucket of cold water on him—that was how hard he recoiled.
“Date?” The word came out with horror and was followed by a humorless laugh. “I don’t date, Sydney. And even if I did,” his face contorted, “I wouldn’t do it with you.”
Maybe he hadn’t meant for his statement to be cruel, but it slammed into me. His rejection, immediately on the heels of the greatest kiss of my life, was a fist to my heart.
I slumped back against the car, almost too wounded to speak, but I eked it out. “Because I’m his sister?”
His gaze drifted down my body, heavy with reluctance, and he let out a sigh before finally refocusing on my face. “No,” he said. “Because you wouldn’t be able to handle me. You’re too much of a good girl.”
My mouth dropped open.
I was competitive, and this rang as a challenge in my ears. But it also lit a fire in my belly, one that burned so hotly, smoke clogged my throat and choked down my words.
It meant that when he turned away and began his short trek back to the house, I simply watched him go, saying nothing at all.
FOUR
- One Year Later -
Preston
