AllFreeNovel
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Hours pass.
We got here early and the crowd was still small, which played to our advantage. I grabbed a baseball hat out of the backseat to try and stay hidden, and we found a great spot near a tree. I swear this is the best afternoon I can remember in such a long time. The music is exceptional, the weather is perfect, and she’s talked and laughed more than she has over the last three days. There is nowhere else I’d rather be than here with her.
I feel carefree and young. Not that I’m old, but stress makes me feel like I am.
Today, on this blanket, I don’t feel like I have to be the person that the world sees and knows. Being a full-time public figure, it’s draining. Here, no one is watching us—not that I’ve noticed—no one is taking pictures trying to skew them into something they’re not, and no one is asking for an autograph. I get to be a regular guy, doing a regular thing, and I get to do it with her.
“Do you think the dogs are okay?” she asks. Shadows from the tree have moved away from us, and her skin is bathed in golden light from the setting sun. My muscles tighten just at the sight of her; damn, what she does to me.
“Of course. I left the dog door open, so they’re good.” I sit up and shift a little closer to her.
“That’s right, I forgot about the door. Oh, look at that cloud over there.” Ava is lying on her back staring up at the sky.
I glance at the cloud she’s pointing to and then turn my attention back to her. God, she’s stunning. Being this close to her on the blanket, I’m dying to touch her.
“Don’t you think it looks like a pirate ship?” she looks up at me, her eyebrows raised in question.
“Mmm hmm.” I don’t want to look at clouds; I want to stare at her.
Right after we got here, my phone buzzed with a text, and it was her friend Emma wanting to know what’s going on. Instead of calling her, Ava had me text back that she’s headed home tomorrow. I logged on to my Delta account and booked her a flight. She doesn’t know it’s first class; hopefully that will be a nice surprise for her tomorrow.
Tomorrow.
I feel like I’m running out of time, when I just want more.
“So, what are your plans for the holidays?” I grab a piece of grass and roll it between my fingers. I’m suddenly nervous, and I don’t know why.
She looks back at me and her eyes find mine. “I’m not sure yet. I might have to work Thanksgiving weekend, and usually for Christmas, Emma and I head to her parents’ house.”
“Any possibility you might head this way?” My heart starts beating a little harder. I desperately want her to say yes.
“Ah, Ash, do you want to see me again?” She’s being playful, but I’m dead serious.
“Yes. I want to see you a lot actually.” My tone is firm, and honestly, if she had been wondering at all about what I thought of her, the way I’m looking at her now should leave no room for question.
I want to kiss her. I want to kiss her so badly.
The smile drops from her lips and my eyes drop to her mouth. I hear the intake of breath as her chest expands and my eyes travel back up her face to her eyes. She’s watching me and pink stains her perfect cheeks.
I know I should be concerned about being outside in the wide open for anyone to see, but I just don’t care. From the first second our eyes connected, there’s been chemistry between us, and after four days, that spark has just gotten stronger. I feel it and I know she feels it too.
Without touching her, I lean in, place my hand next to her head, and hover over her mouth, separating us by just mere inches. My eyes are so focused on their intended target, everything around me drifts away: the mountains, the people, and even the music. The only thing—the most important thing—I see and feel is her.
"Ash . . ." Her voice cracks with nerves, and the heat from her breath fans across my face.
Dragging my eyes away from the part of her I want most, I glance up and our eyes collide. Blue to blue, time stalls. For months, I have felt lost, but lying here staring down at the most beautiful face I have ever seen, I feel found. I’m struck by an overwhelming sense of devotion to this girl that feels a lot like love. Call it wisdom, call it maturity, call it whatever the hell you want, but I know once this kiss is sealed, I’ll only ever again have eyes for her. Eyes that are spellbound by hers; hers that are reflecting back at me with hesitation, curiosity, and mostly desire.
"If you don't want me to kiss you, tell me now." My voice is gravelly and laced with longing. If it's that apparent to me, it has to be to her.
Her eyes widen slightly, her lips part, and that's when I feel her fingers slide across my rib cage and fist into the back of my shirt.
The pull I have to her is so great, I'm not sure I could stop this kiss even if I tried. Licking my lips, my willpower is completely shattered. Not wasting one more second, my mouth lands on hers and my eyes slip shut.
Lip to lip, neither one of us moves. Blood rushes through my ears, roaring by, and pools at the place of contact. My lips feel like they are burning up on hers. Does she feel it? Can she feel what she’s doing to me?
Easing the pressure I’ve applied, she lets out a sigh that parts her lips against mine.
Holy shit.
