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I roll my eyes, trying to hide the fact that he’s not entirely wrong. “You’re full of yourself, you know that?”
He leans in closer, his breath hot against my ear. “I’m just confident in what I want, and right now, that’s you.”
Before I can even register what’s happening, he’s kissing me. Our lips mold together in sync as if we’ve done this a million times. His tongue gently caresses my lips as he grips the back of my neck, pulling me tighter into his chest, eliciting a loud moan of pleasure from me. He plunges his tongue into my mouth as if he’s trying to devour me whole. Fire burns in my veins as I wrap my arms around his neck, pulling him closer to my body. All these feelings are foreign to me, but I know in my heart that I want—no, Ineed—more.
“The things I want to do to you, Marissa,” he growls before nipping lightly at my lip and standing up straight, taking me along with him. “I guess you win this round.”
“I’d love to think of this as a win-win situation,” I whisper softly as he brushes his thumb along my bottom lip, sending another shiver of need through my body.
First impressions be damned. I had no intention of giving this man the time of day. I was going to take my free drink, make a polite excuse, and then make my way back to my hotel room alone. But after that kiss, there’s no way I’m letting this man out of my sight. It’s just one night, right? What’s the worst that could happen?
CHAPTERTWO
FINN
Can she really not remember who I am?
I can’t decide if I’m more hurt or offended that the girl I haven’t stopped thinking about for the last five years may not remember me. It’s a strange feeling—one that I’m not used to.
I can’t blame her, if I’m being honest. We were in high school the last time we saw each other. I was the shy, geeky kid who couldn’t have a simple conversation with my classmates about anything. Seriously, I’m surprised I even became friends with Marissa’s older sister, Sutton. Maybe it was the fact that we spent more time in the library, hiding from the trauma of not being one of the cool kids in high school.
However, there is one word in that sentence that I want everyone to pay attention to: was. Going away to college was just what I needed. Well, that and a roommate that was determined to break me out of my shell freshman year. I transformed. I figured out what to do with my hair, and my long limbs are now filled out with muscles, making me a little more interesting to the ladies and giving me the boost of confidence I was lacking in my teens. Trust me, I’m still the same geeky kid at heart who prefers to spend his Friday nights at home reading instead of cruising for ladies.
“How does another drink sound?” I question, leaning back while signaling the bartender for another round.
“Yeah. A drink sounds good right about now.”
She’s flustered. It’s written all over her face, the same as when we were kids. Her cheeks turn a delicious shade of pink as her eyes look anywhere but at me, but at least I have her attention. Something I’ve longed for since the first time I set eyes on her.
I remember it like it was yesterday. Her long, dark hair hung loosely around her shoulders, with streaks of red brought out by the halo of sunlight behind her head. She was wearing a pale-yellow top, covering her short, curvy frame, and a pair of dark blue jeans tucked into a pair of brown cowboy boots. A bright smile was plastered on her face as she stole my heart.
I had been friends with Sutton for a long time, but I knew Marissa as a person. We went through our awkward teenage years together, although she made it through the awkward stage a lot quicker than me. Growing up, Marissa used to tag along with us, going to the lake and watching movies, and she even went as far as studying with us. It wasn’t odd for me to go to their house to hang out with Sutton, and the three of us would end up doing something together. To most people, it would’ve been a nuisance having their baby sister hang around with them all the time, but Sutton loved it, and it never bothered me one bit, especially after that day. I always knew Marissa was an amazing person inside and out, but in that moment, it was as if I was seeing her for the first time, and I was determined to make her mine. That is until I saw Campbell come strolling up behind her, throwing his arm over her shoulder, and kissing the top of her head, which reminded me she was completely out of my league.
Marissa was the girl everyone loved and wanted to be like. She was ridiculously gorgeous and had what could only be described as the perfect life. What could I possibly have offered a girl like her? Not that it mattered anyway, because Marissa had Campbell. Mr. Perfect. The boy all the girls dreamed of. Those two were a match made in heaven, but something must have happened.
“So, what brings you to the bar today?” Her sultry tone brings my mind back to the present as the bartender places our drinks on the bar in front of us.
Marissa’s eyes lock with mine, staring deep into my soul, searching for something, and I let her. I have nothing to hide. For the first time since leaving Magnolia after graduation, I have her attention, and I’m not about to lose it now.
“I’m on my way home.”
“To your wife and kids?” Her gaze flicks down toward my hand before quickly returning to my eyes, causing me to chuckle softly.
“What type of guys have you been running around with?” I shake my head, lifting my left hand and wiggling my fingers. “No wife. No kids. Just hasn’t really been in the cards for me.”
The irony of her question isn’t lost on me. I assumed, like everyone else in town, that Marissa and Campbell were well on their way to being married after graduation. It’s one of the main reasons I went to college on the other side of the country. Of course, there were plenty of colleges right here in Tennessee or neighboring states, but I didn’t want to be around to watch the girl I’d fallen madly in love with marry another man. When I left after graduation, those two seemed more in love than ever, never giving me or anyone else any inclination they wouldn’t be tying the knot before heading off to college together.
But man, were we all fucking wrong.
I couldn’t help but notice the lack of a ring on her left hand or even a tan line signifying there was once one in that place, causing a million questions to run through my mind. Each one sitting on the tip of my tongue, begging to be asked, but I know I shouldn’t. However, maybe I can use this new knowledge to my advantage.
“A girl can’t be too careful, can she?” She snickers as she lifts her shot off the bar in front of her, throwing it back with ease. “You look like someone who leaves a trail of broken hearts in his wake.”
“Something like that…” I allow my voice to trail off, neither confirming nor denying her statement when the only broken heart after each of my relationships was mine.
I’m not a prude by any means. When I was in college, I may have taken the phrasesowing your wild oats, as they say, a little too seriously. My newfound popularity with the ladies went right to my head. I tried to find someone to replace Marissa. In my immature mind, I just needed to find someone to make me forget her. Instead, it only made it worse. I hooked up with girls and even dated a few of them seriously, but I could never allow myself to give my heart to someone besides Marissa. No one ever compared.
After what seemed like my millionth failed relationship, I decided that I’m destined to be alone. I’ve loved Marissa Torres since I was sixteen years old, and I was content to do so until the day I died. But now, by a chance of fate, I may not have to.
