AllFreeNovel
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“That sounded creepy. I only meant that I watch you.”
I crossed my arms over my chest.
“Fuck,” he laughed. “Not like that. I just noticed. And I thought you deserved an answer to your unasked question.”
“I’m glad you showed me. So why bridges?” There were a vast amount of bridges in his sketchbook.
“They are one of the most powerful pieces of architecture. You are creating a structure that peopleneed. Connecting two separate pieces, like fixing the cracks in the world with beautiful, expensive, concrete bandages.”
“And you thought flowery words and prose were stupid.” I punched him playfully in the arm.
“It’s stupid.”
I smiled, and it was easy. He was easy; he was comfortable. “Tell me more about bridges because I am beginning to think they are beautiful too.”
And he did. He worked on shading but eventually his hands were still. He continued to chatter away about his favorite bridge and wrapped an arm around me. I stopped listening when his breath washed over my cheek. His body was warm and solid and too easy to melt into.
I had given Rosalie maybe a dozen hugs in the years I’d known her. I couldn’t remember the last time I was hugged or given a hug. But here I was, leaning against Trask and it felt better than any other hug I’d been given.
It had been getting dark for the last hour and it was nearly pitch black, but the moon was bright and reflected off the water, giving the whole palace a glow.
“I should get you back,” he said when an involuntary shiver passed through me.
I rose slowly. “I guess.”
He stood with me and cupped my face with his cold hand, fingers behind my neck, his thumb rubbing over my bruise. His cool hand was soothing. “One day you’ll tell me about this.” He leaned in and brushed his lips across mine. “When are you going to tell me that story about your boots?” he whispered.
“One day I’ll tell you that too,” I whispered back.
“Guess that means I need to take you on another date.” He kissed me slowly, letting the pressure build. He was testing me, letting me set the pace.
I was slow at first, surprised by how soft his lips were. But I opened to him, letting his tongue explore my own lips. I wanted more, but I felt relieved when he pulled back slightly, lips still hovering over mine. He pressed a gentle kiss to my bruise. “I changed my mind, I want that to be my new hobby. How often can I manage to kiss Eliza Walsh?”
I smiled back. “I guess we’ll need to go on another date to find out.”
12
TRASK
Idropped her off at school despite the fact that I insisted on being able to drop her off at home and pick her back up for classes in the morning. She refused. I figured she would, the stubborn thing, so we drove through town and back to the college and picked up her car just for her to drive thirty minutes back.
“It’s late,” I’d said.
She only shrugged. “I’m a night owl.”
I didn’t press the issue. When we got to the parking garage, I raced around and opened the door for her, walking the two steps to her junker.
“Your taillight is out,” I said when she got in her car and turned it on.
“What?” she asked when she rolled down the window.
“Your taillight is out.”
She threw her hands over her ears. “No! I can’t hear you, don’t tell me that. I want to be able to tell the cop that pulls me over that I hadabsolutelyno idea in earnest.”
I put my hands on their car door, leaning toward her. “Sneaky little thing.”
She shrugged. “It is what it is.”
