Playing It Safe(37)

Alex has one hand braced on my open car door and watches me as I toss my hobo bag across the seat to the passenger side. His lips curl up in a devilish smile that makes me want to break out in hives even more than a second ago. He’s enjoying himself watching me squirm. He knows I want to kiss, lick, and nip those delectable lips of his. And he’s not going to do a thing about it.

So guess what I do.

“Thanks so much for meeting me,” I expel in a rush of words. “I had a great time tonight.”

I thrust my hand out into the empty space between us. He looks momentarily confused and then chuckles when he puts his palm in mine. I give it a firm shake, trying to ignore the warmness sliding over me at merely touching his hand. Letting it go quickly, I slide into my car and pull the door closed just before I mumble a barely audible “good night” over my shoulder at him. Alex is still standing there when I turn back around to start my car. I know because I can feel him watching me, assessing me in all my absolute craziness and indecisiveness.

When my hands finally grip the steering wheel, I hear a light tap on the window. I look to my left to find Alex’s head tilted to the side with a grin from ear to ear. Then he lifts up his one hand and beckons me to him with an index finger just as he had earlier tonight while in the bar.

I open the car door, and as I’m stepping back out, he comes closer and traps me into the tiny space between my open door and the driver’s seat. Now there’s only but a sliver of space between us. He is all I can see, feel, smell, and desperately want.

Alex brings his hands up and cups my face, tilting it up toward him slowly.

“I’m in your dance space,” he says faintly.

“I see that. Are you going to ask me to dance?”

He lets out a small chuckle as his thumbs make featherlight circles against my cheeks. God, I love that. Just when I think he can’t get any better, he tops himself by being a freaking face holder.

“I didn’t have dancing in mind,” he replies.

I bring my hands up to steady myself and grab a hold of his wrists.

“What did you have in mind?” I ask.

“Why didn’t you kiss me?” he quickly asks back.

“I wanted to. I still do.”

“Then do it,” he says.

His eyes roam to my mouth for a second before bringing his gaze back to my eyes. They look as if they are daring me to move, to stand on my tiptoes and bring my lips to his.

It works.

I reach up and bring my mouth to his. And the moment I do, Alex immediately takes over. His lips slide over mine, barely touching and teasing until a small moan escapes me. Finally his tongue snakes out as he angles my head to the side for better leverage. The kiss spirals out of control with each deft stroke of his tongue against mine. His hands never wander from cradling my face, yet there is no question that he is commanding my entire body. It’s responding to the invasion in my mouth with a huge welcome sign and begs for more.

When our breathing becomes labored and I’m this close to wrapping a leg around his waist in the middle of the Fox’s parking lot without giving a flying f*ck as to who sees us or not, he pulls away and goes back to rubbing circles against my cheeks with his thumbs. His eyes stay focused on mine, but they are clouded with pure unadulterated lust, and they make me want to pick right up where we left off.

“I like being in your dance space, Julia. Too much, I think,” he smoothly says.

Looking up at him, I can’t keep my smile under wraps at his admission, and it gives me the courage to say, “Me too.”

No words are spoken and barely a breath is taken in the few seconds that follow until he drops his hands from my face and backs up a step.

“Good night and thank you for asking me out on a date,” Alex lightly teases. “I had a great time.”

“Good night, Alex,” I say. “I look forward to our next not a date.”

He laughs while I slide back into my seat, and this time I do so with an almost face-splitting grin. The feeling of being on cloud nine stays with me the whole drive home. I actually catch myself singing along to some god-awful Katy Perry song on the radio, that’s how high in the moment I am. I stay that way until I check my messages. Because the last person I want to hear from is waiting on my answering machine.

“Julia, it’s me. Aiden.”

“No shit, Sherlock,” I say and roll my eyes.

“Look, I know it was strange the other day, and if I had known you were involved in planning the engagement party, I would have come to see you sooner.”

I’m staring at the machine, willing it to keep talking and at the same time wishing he would disappear off the face of the planet.


“Anyway, I think that we should meet up to talk. So call me when you get this message.”

I replay it just to make sure I didn’t imagine it.

No such luck. It was really him.

Seriously, of all the things to bring me down from my high from one of the best nights I’ve had in a really long time, it had to be him. I’m cursing under my breath while stomping toward my bedroom. After stripping off my clothes and throwing them into a heap on the floor, I change into my pajamas and fall backward onto my bed.

Bringing the heels of my hands to my eyes, I rub them so hard that I see stars. What am I doing? I just went on one of the best dates of my life, for chrissakes! Why do I keep allowing him to bother me so much?