Page 42 of One Killer Night

“JC, I fear you’ll be stabbed to death before you get a single stone up.”

He looks at me, fully confused. “What? Who’s JC? Are we talking the great JC Chasez of NSYNC? Because he built that empire on the voice of an angel—”

He’s still running his mouth as I tune him out and shove my chilly hands inside my jeans pockets as we follow behind the girls, with only the hint of a smile on my face as I watch Goldie laugh with her sister.

She’s so beautiful. I just want to stare at her all day ... Damn, I like the fuck out of this girl.

I knew that before this moment, but today’s really driving the point home. This has been one of the best days I’ve had since I moved here. And that’s because of her. Which is a problem.

At the time when we first met, I was happy to follow her lead. Respect her boundaries. Mainly because I’m not a piece of shit.

But now, I feel like the girl from that doctor show where she’s allPick me, love me. Especially since those five little words she said earlier keep clanging around in my head like they’re in a mosh pit:And twenty years from now.

I knew she was joking. And that’s the aforementioned problem—I can’t stop thinking about how I liked the sound of it. I’m falling hard for this girl, and there’s no part of me that thinks she isn’t feeling something more too. That much was obvious with the slip of her tongue. How much more, though, seems like muddy waters I’m too chicken to dip a toe in.

Fuck. I’m acting like a thirty-one-year-old middle schooler.

Pretty girls really do reduce men to boys.

My brows draw together as I watch her ass sway in front of me, but it’s not enough to hypnotize me away from my thoughts.

“Noah. Are you coming?”

Goldie’s voice carries over to me, and I suddenly realize that I’ve been standing in place, silently reasoning with myself.

“Yeah.” I grin, running my hand through my hair.

Chase gives me a look, likeWhat’s wrong with you?But I shake my head, closing the distance to my girl.

I smile to myself, relishing the sound of that ... “my girl.” Because that’s what she is, all mine.

When I reach her, she slides her hands into my jacket pockets.

“A penny for your thoughts.”

I shake my head.Chickenshit.

“A quarter?” She winks.

I give her the same response. She smiles brighter.

“Fine,” she huffs. “Keep your secrets.”

“A kiss,” I counter.

She pulls her hands from my jacket, resting them on my chest before raising to her tiptoes as I lean down.

Our mouths touch softly before they begin to press together with more insistence, as if one taste couldn’t be enough. It can’t be. The fullness of her lip dips between mine just as my hand lifts, cradling her face to deepen our kiss.

Fuck, kissing her is next level.

Goldie’s soft moan drifts between us, and her body sinks into mine. It’s like a siren’s call, becoming my only focus. But still, I kiss her with absolutely no rush, taking my fucking time.

Our heads tilt, tongues starting to tease and dance as my fingers slide back into her hair. She moans again into my mouth, making my grip tighten.

Every sound and every taste that comes from this woman makes me want to devour her more, to do shit to her nobody else should see.Her fingers curl around the fabric of my jacket, holding me close as we teeter toward lewd.

Fuck it. I don’t care.