I narrowed my gaze to hers, cocking my head slightly to the side.
She laughed. “We can exchange numbers. And this way, if you end up needing anything while you’re at the cabin, you can reach out to me.”
I fished my phone out of my pocket and slid it into her hand. She flipped through a few screens and then typed something into a message box and hit send. Her phone buzzed and chirped from her back pocket as she handed my phone back to me.
“Now we can call and message each other anytime,” she said.
I smirked. “Are you sure you’re going to be okay?”
“I am positive,” she said and opened the door.
The blast of cold air helped to sober me. I leaned against the doorway as she stepped outside and then turned to face me. She was so close. It would have been easy to pull her into me and kiss her.
She smiled. “I’ll text you as soon as I’m home.”
I nodded. “That would be amazing.”
She held out her hand and I took it. Her skin was warm and soft, and I fought against pushing her against the wall again.
“It was a pleasure meeting you,” she said. “Thanks for the drinks.”
I nodded. “Thank you as well. I am happy you showed up.”
“Good,” she said, smiling.
Her smiles seemed to always draw my attention and take my breath away. After several seconds, and a deep breath, I asked, “Mind if I walk you to your car?”
She giggled and shook her head. I followed her as she made her way to her car, which was parked next to my pickup. I stepped around her and quickly reached the door before she could. I opened the door for her, allowing her to climb in before closing the door. I continued to wait for her to leave as I leaned against the hood of my truck. She got herself situated in her seat and then started the engine. Once the layers of snow were swept away from her windshield, she waved at me.
I smiled and waved back, committing every second of the night to memory… just in case this was the last time I would ever see her.
The window rolled down. She leaned toward the opening and said, “See you tomorrow.”
I smiled. “Consider it a date.”
Her car shifted into gear, and she backed out of the parking space. Once she was out of the parking lot, I headed inside.
Her scent still filled the room, buzzing through my head with each breath in. I tossed myself to the bed and closed my eyes, hoping I would dream of her until morning. Then I remembered she messaged something to me when she had my phone. I fished the thing out of my pocket and then stared into the screen.
“Goodnight Handsome.”
I smiled, staring at the words. Maybe this was the start of something new and exciting. Maybe this was the start of the end of everything. I wasn’t sure, and I didn’t care. I wanted to experience every second of what she had to offer.
The next half an hour was spent fighting to stay awake so I could reply to the text she was supposed to send me once she got home. But I lost the battle at some point, falling asleep with my phone resting on my chest.
3
CADENCE
“Consider it a date,” he said.
The air in the car suddenly warmed to the heat of summer as I met his gaze and then took in the smirk that rested beneath it. The only thing I could do was smile and wave before putting the car into reverse.
His words echoed through my mind as I sat behind the steering wheel, clutching the thing so tight my knuckles turned white. With the way he looked at me, and the way he smiled, I was finding it incredibly difficult to not stay.
Add to all of that the promise within his words. The way his eyes held mine. Everything about him worked me into a fit of arousal.
The man was working to undo every last strand of self-control woven into my body, and I didn’t mind one bit. But there was this little thing called responsibility, and I couldn’t allow the night to end in the way my body desperately needed it to.