Chapter 3
Easy as Breathing
Harley
Thank fuck he agreed. I mean, I figured he would, but this is fake, it’s to prove to my friends that I’m okay. That’s it.
I say that as I prepare for my first official ‘date’ with my boyfriend. Struggling to decide what I want to wear to the drive-in movie theatre. I need to be comfortable but cute.
“Sinclair!” I half groan, half scream across the hallway where her bedroom door sits open.
“What!” She hollers back. This is a normal occurrence in our apartment.
“Help.”
Five seconds later, Sinclair has stepped into my bedroom.
“I don’t know what to wear on my date.”
“How about nothing?” She wiggles her eyebrows at me.
“Maybe after my date, but considering I don’t want a public nudity charge, clothes would be preferred.”
“Where’s he taking you?”
“Drive-in! My fave nineties movie is playing.”
“Oh, fun! I’d say something cute and comfy then. Maybe leggings, sneakers, and a cute sweater? That way, you can sit comfortably in the back of the Tacoma.”
“You’re a genius.” I grab her head, kissing the top before stepping into my closet and grabbing some sweater options.
“Green.” She says after a moment of looking between the three I pulled out.
“Oh! I forgot I grabbed you something to pack for our trip the other day.” Sin’s mischievous grin can’t mean anything good for me. “Be right back.”
While she’s gone, I finish getting changed and begin pulling half of my hair back, leaving some curls sitting around my face.
“Here ya go.” She throws a black box onto the bed beside me where I’m tying my shoes.
“Sin, what is this?” I can tell just by looking at the box, but I don’t understand why my best friend is gifting me a sex toy.
“Something for the cabin. I’m sure you and Collins could have a lot of fun with this. Since you’ll have a lot of alone time with your new beau, obviously sex is going to ensue.”
My cheeks heat instantly. It’s clear that everyone is going to be expecting us to bang it out in the cabin. However, my mind betrays me by putting an image of a very sweaty, very muscular, and very hard Collins into my head, making me think this toy may get some use before our trip.
“Sin.” I sigh, shaking the dirty image from my head and sliding the box onto my bedside table without a second glance.
“Harls.”
“Why?”
“As I said before, lots of time to play with each other, figured this could bring a little spice in.” She shrugs as if gifting sex toys is normal.
Before I can respond, three heavy knocks resound throughout the apartment. Collins is here to rescue me from my best friend’s shenanigans. Thank God.
I swing the door open and am hit by Collins’ cologne, leather, and masculine. I’m also greeted by the most beautiful bouquet of purple tulips.
“Harley.” He smiles at me, surveying my outfit briefly. Pulling me into his arms and placing a kiss on my forehead.
“Collins.” I can’t help but smile as I pull back.
“You look beautiful, these are for you.” He hands me the flowers quickly, perusing my body once more. Heat flares in his eyes, but he quickly blinks it away.
“Thank you, let me get them in water. Then we can go.”
“I can take care of those. You two go have fun.” Sin says from behind me, eyeing us both closely.
“Oh… Okay, thanks.” I hand them to her before grabbing my purse and letting Collins take my hand, guiding me down to his truck.
“Are you sure we can get away with this?” I ask as Collins pulls into a spot in the theatre, his bed facing the giant, white screen.
“Definitely can.” He reassures me, placing a hand on my thigh, which causes my blood to boil immediately.
I lean over and place a quick kiss on his cheek, “Easy as breathing. We do this all the time.”
“Easy as breathing.” He smirks before hopping out of the truck, “Stay here. It’s a little chilly, let me get everything set up, then you can join me in the back.”
A few moments later my door is opened, and Collins is helping me out of the truck. He leads me around the back, where pillows and blankets line the plastic bed. An assortment of popcorn, sour and sweet snacks, and waters sit in what I like to call a snackle box.
“Collins, this is perfect.”
“You deserve nothing but the best, Harls.” His voice is closer than I expected, and then his arms are wrapped around me from behind as I take in the area he’s set up for us. “Let’s get you in there.”
His hands move to my waist, easily lifting me into the bed of the truck, and I scoot toward the back, as he follows behind me.
“What else do you think is missing to pull this off?” I ask, pulling a sour candy from the box and sticking it into my mouth. My mouth twists up from the punch of the sour treat almost immediately.
He doesn’t speak for a moment, then says, “Sure, we have platonic cuddles and have slept in the same bed, but we’ve never kissed Harls. You know our friends won’t buy it if we aren’t affectionate with each other. They haven’t seen either of us with partners in a while.”
I wonder if the same thoughts I’m having cross his mind. Hoping that he suggests we kiss partially because it’s true and partially because he’s as desperate to feel my lips on his as I am his.
“Let’s kiss then, get the first one out of the way,” I say boldly.
A groan sounds deep in Collins’ throat before his body turns toward mine.
“Fuck it.” He mutters before his hands bracket my face, and he leans toward me.
Without hesitation, I find myself leaning into him as well.
Our lips meet, Collins’ thumb gently caressing my cheek as our lips move softly together for a moment.
I find myself relaxing into his touch, sighing into his mouth, and wanting to push this kiss further.
I don’t get the opportunity because he pulls away, eyes glossed over and breathing just as heavy as mine.
“I don’t think doing that regularly will be a problem.” I try to laugh it off, but the way my body still feels like it’s been lit on fire from that brief interaction makes my laugh waver.
“Agreed.” He breathes, clearing his throat before shifting his body back toward the screen and pulling me into his side.
We spend the rest of the movie cuddled up like this, his strong arm wrapped around my shoulder and my head resting on his. The sounds of Patrick and Kat’s banter and the low hum of vehicle engines filling the night air.
“Did you have fun tonight?” Collins asks as we pull up in front of my apartment building.
“Of course.” I squeeze his hand, which he wrapped around mine as soon as he finished clearing the bed of the truck and started the drive back.
“Me too. Let’s plan for once a week until the trip?” The question hangs in the air for a moment, which means three more dates. Erm… Fake dates. Probably the best ones I’ve ever been on, considering how perfect tonight was.
“That sounds great. Surely, they’ll have to believe it by then, right?”
“I think so,” Collins reassures. “I’ll walk you up.”
“You don’t have to.”
“I know I don’t have to, but I want to.” He adds, “Plus, you know Sin will kill me if she knows I let you walk up in the dark.”
“I guess that’s true.”
When I go to grab my door handle, Collins, exiting the driver’s side, says, “Don’t you dare open that door. We have to break that habit; you should never have been doing that yourself.”
I stop my movements immediately, the assertiveness in Collin’s voice doing something to my body that it definitely shouldn’t be. I don’t have time to ponder it because the passenger door swings open and a hand is extended to assist me out.
The walk up to my apartment is quick, but our goodbye lingers as if the line we crossed earlier tonight is holding us in place. Collins pulls me into him, placing a quick kiss on my lips.
“She’s watching.” He says quietly against my lips.
“Probably. Thank you for tonight.” I whisper back, our lips touching again as I speak.
“Goodnight, Peppermint.” He says, pulling away and waiting for me to go in and lock the door behind me.
“Goodnight, Freckles.”