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“Wow.”
She nodded. “Yup. It was a lot of wow.”
“So you didn’t do anything rebellious?”
Amber laughed. “That was my little sister, Chelsea’s, job. I never did any of that wild and crazy stuff you’re supposed to do when you’re a teenager.”
She hadn’t intended on getting into her family life with Cole. It was never easy to explain to people that she and her younger sister were the products of a long-running affair and when their father finally left his other family to be with them, it had basically destroyed the lives of all six kids. She’d mostly come to peace with the situation, but there was no denying that the choices of her parents had shaped who she was.
As if he could sense that she didn’t want to get into any more details, Cole squeezed her finger with his and smiled. “Well, it’s never too late. We both have some Moon Juice and we’re at a festival in a town where no one knows us. I can’t think of a better time to have a little of that wild fun, can you?”
“No.” She laughed. Maybe it was the Moon Juice, or the night sky, or sitting next to Cole, or a combination of everything, but in that moment, Amber had never felt more free. “I can’t.” They each raised their jars and drank deeply. In the back of her head, Amber knew it was a bad idea to let loose completely, but the part of her that no longer cared was a lot louder than the part that did. She took another drink right as an eerie howl split the peaceful night. She jumped up and her drink splashed over the edge as she scooted closer to Cole on the wagon.
“What was that?”
Cole chuckled and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close as if it were the most natural thing in the world. “I imagine it was just a coyote in the distance. Don’t be scared.”
She wasn’t. At least, she wasn’t scared of any faraway coyotes. No, if Amber was scared of anything at all, it was the way her stomach fluttered and her body burned at Cole’s touch. That was downright terrifying.
Cole likedhis arm around Amber. He liked it a lot.
So much so that he didn’t bother moving it until the wagon arrived at the river and the bonfire. He helped her down from the wagon and once more took her hand in his. It felt natural. As if it belonged there.
Everything about spending time with Amber felt natural. Even though he definitely wasn’t interested in rushing into anything, he couldn’t help but think that despite what he’d said earlier about being the type of guy who had lived his whole life without being serious, maybe he could be. Serious. At least when it came to a girl like Amber.
The fire was roaring and it looked as if the entire town gathered around the flames. The two of them slipped into the crowd, chatting and laughing with the locals easily, as if they’d always lived there. The entire time they mingled, Cole was very much aware of Amber’s presence next to him. Every time he looked at her, his attraction spiked a little more. With her golden hair framing her face and bouncing in loose waves over her shoulders, and the way her smile lit up her face in the firelight every time she laughed, she was completely mesmerizing.
Finally, Cole was done making small talk and listening to stories about Crystal Creek. Maybe it was the Moon Juice he’d had, or the beautiful woman by his side, but he was more than ready for something a bit quieter.
They’d been separated by some of the locals, and Amber was talking to a group of women when Cole slid up behind her. He smiled as charmingly as he could at the women and bent to whisper into Amber’s ear. “Come with me for a minute. I need to steal you.” He had to physically hold himself back from nibbling on the creamy skin of her neck. As it was, he inhaled her scent deeply and it definitely wasn’t the alcohol that had him off-balance. Without waiting for an answer, Cole took her hand and with a quick apology to the women, pulled her away from the crowd.
“Where are we going?”
“I just don’t want to share you anymore.” He winked at her. “Besides, we should enjoy this fire a little bit, don’t you think?”
She nodded and squeezed his hand tighter as he led her through the crowd. The bonfire was huge, with most of the party gathered on one side. But as they circled the fire, it was clear that the opposite side was going to be much more private. Piles of hay bales stacked high created seating both near the fire and a little farther away, toward the mostly frozen river. Cole found a quiet spot and climbed up on the hay into a private nook where they were both close enough to the fire to keep warm and far enough away that they weren’t likely to be interrupted.
“You don’t want toshareme?” Amber asked once they were settled into the hay. She leaned in toward him.
It may have been the Moon Juice, which definitely was more potent than he’d expected, but she’d been flirting with him all night. It was subtle, but she was definitely flirting. A fact he didn’t mind at all.
“Are you having fun?” He answered her question with another one.
“I really am.” She nodded. “Thank you for bringing me.”
“A deal is a deal.” He reached over and took her hand, slipping his fingers between hers. “Besides, I’ve really enjoyed myself with you tonight. A lot.”
He couldn’t be sure in the dim light, but he was fairly sure she blushed. The idea of her skin flushing because of him turned him on. With his spare hand, he reached up and stroked her soft hair. “You look beautiful tonight.”
There were so many reasons he shouldn’t do it, but the reasons that he should outweighed any objection he could think of. Before he could let himself be talked out of it, Cole leaned in and pressed his lips to hers.
She tasted like blueberry and something even sweeter. Something that was all Amber. Her lips yielded to his and he deepened the kiss, cupping her cheek with his hand to hold her to him. A small moan escaped her lips, sending a spark through him directly to his core. He pulled her tight, needing her closer still.
It was clear that one taste wouldn’t be enough. Cole deepened the kiss. His tongue traced the seam of her lips until she opened to him. And when their tongues twined together, Cole was sure it was the most erotic thing he’d ever experienced. He pressed her back into the hay, settling into the kiss.
He could have kissed her all night. Only it didn’t take him long to realize that when it came to Amber, he was definitely not going to be satisfied with only a kiss.
Reluctantly, he pulled away and sat back to look at her. Her eyes were still closed, her lips parted and moist, but only for a second before she realized he was gone. She brought her fingers to her lips and opened her eyes.
