Life In Reverse(55)

This is how Zack must have felt before he climbed a steep mountain or sailed off a cliff. My heart pounds inside my chest and I can’t catch my breath. It feels like I’m on the edge of something scary, yet wonderful. And when I finally get my feet to move and Vance sees me coming toward him, rewarding me with fiery eyes and a slight curve of his lips—I’m done for.

He slicks back my drenched hair with his fingers. “I guess you’re crazy, too.”

“Certifiable,” I reply, water trickling past my temple and over the side of my face. His hand slides down and curves around the bend of my neck, thumb stroking along my jaw and I tremble.

“Cold?” he asks, eyes gleaming blue in the sunlight. I shake my head no and let my gaze wander over his face and all its subtle nuances; the single freckle under his eye, the strong angle of his jaw, the lines around his mouth. He pulls me in so my head rests on his chest and drapes himself around me. My arms encircle his waist until every part of him touches every part of me, until no space is left between us. Rivulets of water cascade over our bodies and he holds on tight as if he’s running out of air and I’m his last breath. It may be daylight and we may be standing in the middle of a river, but it is by far the most intimate moment I’ve ever experienced.

We stay like this, connected, until his chest lifts from mine and he draws back to look at me. “What are you doing to me, Ember Bennett?”

My voice shakes as his hand slips into my hair, tilting my head, our mouths merely inches apart. “The same thing you’re doing to me.” I close my eyes to the lingering scent of mint as his breath brushes against my lips. I’m panting with want, waiting to feel his mouth against mine—but it never comes. After what seems like an eternity, my eyes flutter open to his intense stare. “Aren’t you going to kiss me?”

“I don’t want to kiss you, Ember,” he says softly, and I frown. The words are too loud in my ears and I can’t make sense of them. Unsure, I cast my eyes down until I feel his finger under my chin, forcing me to meet his gaze. “Because if I do, I’m afraid I’ll never want to stop.”

My lips part on a faint gasp, though I still manage to speak. “I’m not sure I’m seeing the problem.”

He laughs, the sound mostly air, his accompanying smile taking whatever breath I have left. His hand finds my cheek, his eyes find my mouth. With his fingertip, he reaches out to brush my bottom lip and a ripple of warmth coasts over my skin. My eyes fall closed. “Ember.” He whispers my name in a low rumble before his mouth finally lands on mine. The mouth I’ve been anxious to kiss. And it was so worth the wait. His full upper lip envelops mine, soft, though commanding, and anything that came before this moment is lost to me. I’ve never been one to believe in fireworks, but this kiss… it does something to me. It overwhelms me, taking possession of my heart—or perhaps he had it all along.

His mouth glides over mine, once, twice, before coaxing my lips apart and slipping his tongue inside. Gentle, teasing licks make me shudder and I moan, pressing against him. Through the wet clothes that cling to our bodies, I can feel every ridge, every curve, every bulge. I latch onto his shirt, my fingers bunching and twisting the fabric to drag him closer as his tongue continues to dip in and out of my mouth. He tastes like mint and coffee, and Vance. I’m just getting used to the feel of him when he breaks the kiss, touching his forehead to mine. Water rushes all around us, but all I hear is the sound of our breaths, all I feel is the swarm of butterflies doing a somersault in my belly.

I’m not sure how much time passes because I couldn’t care less about time right now. Vance doesn’t seem to either, but I do notice the chill of his fingers against my skin. “Vance, you’re getting cold.”

“Am I?” He circles my nose with his. “I feel pretty warm, actually.”

“We should probably find a way to dry off.”

Even though all I want him to do is kiss me again.

He steps back, only enough to see my eyes. His finger skims my bare arm and another shudder moves through me. “I kind of like you wet,” he rasps, and my cheeks warm. “You are absolutely adorable when you blush. You know that, Mickey?” He kisses the tip of my nose. “Let’s go to the car. I think I’ve got a blanket in my trunk.”

Given the blanket turns out to be wool, it takes extra effort to get ourselves dry. Once we’re no longer dripping with water, he folds it back up and throws it in the trunk. “Oh, shit.” Vance looks over his shoulder, chewing on the corner of his lip.

I shift around to see what he’s staring at, but nothing unusual is there. “What?”

“I guess I need to get another phone.”

I snort out a laugh. “Ya think?”

He slings an arm over my shoulder and brings me closer, pressing a kiss to my hair. “Yeah, I do.”

I know what I think. I think I’m falling hard for Vance Davenport.





THE SKY BEGINS to change colors on our drive back; pinks and oranges melting together over the horizon. I half expect Ember to want to pull over and capture it on film. I’m about to ask when I catch a glimpse of her out of the corner of my eye. Thick, dark lashes rest against her cheeks, lips forming a sleepy smile. A loose strand of hair blows in front of her mouth and I reach over with a single finger to push it back behind her ear. She stirs, but doesn’t awaken.