"Go out with me and we'll get to know each other," I coaxed, sliding my hand farther down the back of her shirt. I watched as she gnawed on her bottom lip indecisively. I was more jealous of a set of teeth than I could have ever imagined possible. I wanted it to be my teeth that gently nipped on her lip. "Are you still worried I want to stick my trunk in your head," I teased softly, trying to lighten the tension radiating off her.
"I'm not looking for a serious relationship," she mumbled.
"Let me get this straight. You're fine going out with me, but you just don't want me to get attached?" I asked, laughing at the irony of the situation. "Sweetheart, I have a strict rule about attachments, but that doesn't mean we can't have fun getting to know each other. Besides, I'll only be here a week or so."
"You won't fall in love with me?" she asked earnestly. Had the situation been different, I would have busted a gut at her question.
"I promise I won't fall in love with you," I said solemnly since she seemed so serious.
"How about if I promise I only plan to use you for sex?" I joked.
"That would help," she said, nodding her head in total agreement.
"You know this conversation is kind of messed up," I teased, trailing my hand a little farther down.
"I'm pretty sure everything we've done up to this point is messed up," she said, finally relaxing. "We might as well stay consistent."
"So, let me get this straight since I tend to look at things a bit analytically. It's okay if we date, but even better if I decide I want to ravish your body to my heart's content, and then walk away when I'm done?" I questioned.
"Exactly," she said, shivering slightly as my hand continued exploring.
"I'll pick you up at seven," I said, pulling her toward me. I settled my lips against hers for a moment, devouring the sigh of surprise that left her mouth. I pulled the lip that had been enticing me into my mouth and gave it a soft nip with my teeth. It tasted faintly like a combination of cherry lip gloss and minty mouthwash, but it was the heat that beckoned me. I could have made a feast of her lips and mouth. I wanted to explore every inch of them. After a moment, I forced myself to pull away and open my car door.
Her eyes looked at me questionably as I stood outside her car. "Sorry, you're bottom lip was driving me nuts. I had to see if it tasted as good as it looks," I explained.
"Well?" she asked exasperated as I started to close the door.
"Sweetheart, it tasted better than my wildest fantasies could have ever conjured up," I said, closing the door to her astonished face.
Chapter 7: The face plant
Ashton
I drove home in a fog after the earth-shattering kiss Nathan planted on me. "Earth-shattering" was so cliché, but this kiss was that and more. Never has a kiss affected me in so many different ways. The clumsy kisses I'd shared with a few boys in high school and college paled in comparison. It was the difference between ordering an aged steak at a five-star restaurant and the chopped meat patties they used to serve in the school cafeteria. His parting words, though, affected me the most. With just a few words, he made me feel desirable and cherished all at the same time.
Pulling in front of my cottage, I managed to clear the fog in my head long enough to go inside. Along the way, the cold air made its way through my wet clothes, chilling me to the bone and effectively putting out the rest of the fire he'd ignited inside me. My trembling fingers fumbled with my key until I was finally able to slide it into the lock. Closing the front door behind me, I began to strip down, leaving a trail of wet clothes behind me on the way to my bathroom. It took all the hot water the small water heater could muster to fight away the chills that had gripped me. Only when the water started to cool did I switch it off.
I stepped from the shower, quickly wrapping my body with a towel, and another turban-style around my head.
I was in the midst of pulling skinny jeans and a cable-knit sweater on when I heard my TV click on in the main room of the cottage.
"Want to hang out?" Tressa greeted me around a mouthful of gooey cheese pizza. "I figured we could watch a couple movies and gossip."
The tantalizing smell of the pizza reminded me that I had skipped breakfast. "Sure," I replied, grabbing a piece of pizza as I rounded up my wet clothes from the floor. Still munching along the way, I carried them to the utility room that had been built onto the back of the cottage. I shivered at the quickly dropping temperature outside, and heaved the clothes into the basket so I could rush back inside.
"Man, it's crazy how quick the weather changes," I commented, heading back through the kitchen.
"Welcome to northern living. What I wouldn't give for warm weather all year around."
"Trust me. It's not as glamorous as it sounds. No seasons to speak of and scorching summers take the fun out of warm weather states. Did you bring chocolate too?" I asked, changing the subject as I sat down next to her.
"Chocolate fudge brownie ice cream," she answered, hitting the button on my Bluray player.
"Yum. What movies did you get in from Netflix?" I asked, grabbing another slice of pizza.
"This week it was comedies."
"Sounds good," I said, settling back against the cushions on my couch.