Page 45 of Wildest Forever (Lovelock Bay #3)

“Fuck,” I watch as his throat bob, his mouth slightly open.

“What?” I blink at him, letting my hand drop, the strawberry still pinched between my finger and thumb.

“Nothing,” he rushes out and he blushes.

“There is clearly something...”

He swallows and I watch as his jaw tightens for a moment, his eyes darting beside him and my stomach knots.His amber eyes lock on mine and I feel the air shift between us, my heart throbbing in my chest.

“You want to know the truth?” he asks, and I nod, hesitation biting my skin.

He sighs, placing the glass on a flat part of the truck bed and I wait for him to tell me.

“You. That moan. The way your full fucking lips locked around that strawberry,” his voice is constricted, it's raspy and delicious and full of gravel.

“I know I said I wanted us to take it slow, I know I wanted to date, but the way that sound floated over my skin, every inch of me tingling with a want for you wife,” he pauses for a moment and shuffles towards me.

“I want to feel every piece of your skin under my fingertips, mapping it out, following a trail that only I can see, that only I can feel, that only I get to tease...” he sinks his teeth into his bottom lip, his sights falling to my lips and I hadn't even realised but the strawberry has fallen from my fingertips.

“Pacey,” I whisper as his lips hover over mine.

“I want to see the stars, but I want to see the way I make them sparkle in your eyes.”

Swallowing, my eyes bounce between his.

He takes my glass from my fingers and reaches behind him, placing it down before he is back on me.

Lips hovering over mine before he knocks my legs open.

He is knelt between them, finger and thumb gripping my chin.

“But only if you're ready,” his eyes hollow into mine, his teeth sinking into his bottom lip. My eyes volley, one of my hands slipping up to his chest as I press softly.

“I am,” I swallow down the thickness and I know I probably don't sound very convincing but I really do want this.

A slow sexy smirk pulls at his lips and I let my eyes finally fall from his as I focus on his mouth.

“Then let's look at the stars and then I'll take you home,” he leans into me and kisses me softly, his fingers still gripping my chin and I can feel the way his heart jolts beneath my fingertips.

“Okay,” I whisper and his mouth widens as he smiles, teeth baring.

He pulls back and I instantly miss him.

Miss the way his body fit between my legs, miss the way his lips singed mine, miss the way the swarm of butterflies break free in my stomach.

I miss it all.

He leans behind him and passes me my glass and I give a soft nod as I thank him.

Twisting, I rest against the back of the truck and he joins me, shuffling back. His hand drops to my leg and he gives it a squeeze.

Silence consumes us and I have never felt so at peace than I do now.

All grief and anxiety slips away for just a moment.

“Are you happy?” his question catches me off guard. I lick my lips then turn to look at him and find that his eyes are already on me, watching my every expression.

“I am,” I admit, and it's not a lie. Maybe not if you asked me a couple of weeks ago, but right here, right now, I have never felt happier.

“I know this is not what either of us had planned... but,” he gives me a lop sided smile and my heart jumps in my chest.

“I know,” I nod, a smile slips across my lips as I focus on him.

“But I am glad I am doing this with you,” he sucks in a breath before his eyes turn forward and he is watching the blanket of stars above us.

“Me too,” I admit, reaching for a strawberry and pressing it to my lips before I take a bite.

Silence consumes me for a moment and a thousand questions bounce around my head at getting to know him a little better because lets be honest, we really don't know each other at all.

Sighing, I bite the bullet.

“What was your childhood like?” and he looks at me in utter confusion.

“My childhood?” he puffs his cheeks out and looks forward once more.

“Yeah,” my words echo quietly around the two of us, lingering for a moment.

“It was okay, not the easiest, not the hardest...” he pauses for a moment and looks down at his now empty glass.

“Sorry I shouldn't have asked,” I rush the words out as if they've burned my tongue and I feel stupid for even asking that question.

“Please don't be sorry.” he smiles at me but I see the sadness that sits behind his whiskey eyes.

“We don't have to talk about it,” I bite the inside of my lip and wish I could rewind back.

“No we can, I just think where everything is still so raw with my dad and everything that happened in between,” and I know he is referring to when he was shot.

“I get that,” I whisper. “I really do,” I suck in a breath and try and slow my racing heart.

“But I was grateful at having the childhood I did... grateful that we had Austin, Aspen and Harlow too,” he slips away from me a moment as if he is replaying a memory.

“I bet,” my voice cracks. “I always wanted siblings, the closest thing I got to that was Dusty.”

“Love Dusty,” he scoffs a laugh, “good man.”

I nod, “He really is.”

“Austin was like a brother to me, is like a brother to me,” he laughs shaking his head, “not sure why I am talking about him in past tense.” I don't interrupt him, just let him talk.

“Aspen was always around, Austin's annoying kid sister. But we never left her out, she was more part of our gang then Harlow. She came later,” he looks up at the stars and sighs heavily.

“Aspen had a crush on Riggs, she was always watching him or trying to sneak around with him, but he was oblivious at the time.”

“So, they always had a thing then?”

“Not really, she liked him, he liked her, but they never really got it off the ground until a couple of years ago when she came back to Lovelock Bay,” he nibbles the inside of his cheeks, eyes back down to his glass.

“But they found their way back to each other in the end, that's the main thing... they were always meant to be. They just had a bit of a bumpy road to get there,” he trails off then moves forward, taking my glass from my hands and placing it into the picnic basket.

I sit up a little taller, legs crossed beneath me, watching his every move.I watch as the boyish grin slips onto his face and my stomach coils with excitement and nerves.

“Can I take you home, wife ?”