Avoiding Responsibility (Avoiding #2)(43)

Lexi gasped as she felt him beneath her jeans wanting nothing more than to continue where this was headed. However, the thought of stripping down was horrifying in the freezing temperatures. Already her exposed torso was bitterly cold. Despite everything she wanted to do, Lexi pulled back Ramsey's hand and slid her shirt back in place. She moved forward pressing her torso against his chest to gain back some warmth.

"Sooooo…cold," she chattered into his ear.

He chuckled wrapping his arms around her tightly. "I guess forty degree weather isn't the best time to try and seduce you."

"It was your choice to come up here. You set your own terms," Lexi reminded him. Lexi nibbled his ear and shook her hips back and forth just to show him how much she wanted to continue, as well as how much he was missing.

"Now that isn't nice." He gripped her hips tightly between his capable hands causing her to stop her movement.

"Ramsey," she murmured softly.

"Yes?"

"What was Jessie talking about?" she couldn't help but ask. She wanted to kick herself for being nosey. It was none of her business. His past was his past and she couldn't change it. It certainly didn't change how she would view him. Whatever Jessie was talking about was something Ramsey hadn't wanted to discuss. She hated that she had been a fool enough to bring it up especially after he had just admitted to attempting to seduce her. However, she couldn't keep herself from wondering. She couldn't keep herself from asking him either.

"Oh," he mumbled obviously uncomfortable. Lexi waited for him to decide what to do. If he wanted to continue, she would let him take his time. If not, then she would just revel in his warmth in silence. After a minute, Lexi was certain that he wasn't going to say anything, but he sighed and began speaking, "I dated this girl in high school who I took to prom."

"But you said you didn't have any girlfriends," she reminded him. He knew how she felt about lying. It wouldn't look good for him if that was the case.

Ramsey sighed again. "She wasn't my girlfriend. We just went to a lot of stuff together and so I took her to prom. Jessie was just going to tell a story about how we all came up here after prom. She stayed in her big red dress on the four wheeler, and then played Never Have I Ever with the rest of the group. We all learned a lot about each other and it eventually turned into more and…"

"You don't have to tell me the rest," Lexi said her curiosity not sated, but she hated making him sound so forlorn. It was like he was in his own personal hell just talking about it. As if he was ashamed of every word.

"Nah," he muttered moving her back to his side, "it's just I ended up f**k…sleeping with her next to the fire in front of pretty much everyone because she dared me I wouldn't. Everyone thought it was hilarious and never let me live it down when we're up here."

"Oh!" Lexi cried unable to keep the surprise from her face. She didn't care that he had slept with some random girl after prom, but it had still came as a surprise to her. She didn't know him all that well obviously.

"I wouldn't have brought you up here if I'd thought they were going to bring that up," he told her his green eyes glancing hesitantly into Lexi's.

Lexi shook her head. "It's not your fault. You can't change your past."

Ramsey shrugged. "Still didn't really mean for you to hear about me like that."

"As long as there aren't similar surprises continuing to await me then I think we'll be just fine," she told him nuzzling closer again. She felt Ramsey sigh in relief. "And if you'd brought me anywhere else, you might be getting some play right now," she told him cocking an eyebrow.

"Oh yea?" he asked his body coming alive underneath her at the implications.

"I do want you Ramsey Bridges," she told him as a matter-of-fact.

"And you shall have me whenever you like."

"Whenever?" she asked smirking.

"Well as often as possible with you in New York."

"So Ramsey does this make me just another of your girls that you'd take in front of a bonfire with people around?" she asked joking more than anything, though his answer was important to her.

"Oh Lexi, my Alexa," he said her name possessively, "you could never be just another one of those girls."

"So…what does that make me?" she asked knowing that she was pushing her luck. She wasn't really looking for any kind of commitment from him, but she couldn't keep herself from asking nonetheless. She did want some kind of definition to their relationship whatever that meant.

Ramsey turned to her capturing her lips in another searing kiss. When he pulled back his look was intense. "I haven't felt like this before Lexi."

Lexi's heart fluttered rapidly in her chest. She could feel her palms beginning to sweat. Her stomach was turning knots in anticipation. Her pulse was working on overdrive. She could feel her throat beginning to dry up as if she had swallowed cotton balls. She didn't know what was coming over her and why she was getting so nervous about one simple question and one simple comment. He hadn't felt this way before. Yet, he felt it about her. She wanted to jump up and down with relief.

"Lexi this might be bold," he began taking her hands in his own, "but I think the casual dating isn't working for me."