12. Delilah #3
Her fingers gripped my shoulders even tighter.
She was close, I could tell by the way her hips moved, grinding against me, like she was at the edge and about to fall over, throw herself into it, give herself over to me completely.
Her head tipped back, her brow furrowed in concentration.
She was so fucking beautiful it almost hurt to look at her.
I focused on her eyes, willing her to open them up and meet my gaze.
Like she could sense my silent request, she gazed up at me as her body stilled, clenched around me.
I continued to move, so far gone I couldn’t stop if I wanted to.
And as she gazed up at me, the reflection of a million stars in her eyes, I joined her.
After we floated back down to earth, I held her tight against my chest, running my fingers lightly up and down her side. “I feel like I could lie here forever with you.”
She reached up and pressed a kiss to my scruffy cheek. “Wouldn’t your family wonder where you are?”
“They’d probably miss you before they’d miss me. You’ve made quite an impression on everyone.”
“Don’t be silly. I can tell how much they love you.” She lifted the blanket and tossed it to the side. “Are you as hot as I am? I feel like I just ran a marathon.”
I leaned over and blew cool air on the bare skin of her back. “You’re definitely much, much hotter than I am.”
“Stop.” She let out a giggle that shifted to a snort. “Oh no, now you know my deepest, darkest secret.”
“That you snort when you laugh?” It had to be the cutest thing I’d ever heard. I reached out to tickle her, trying to get her to do it again.
“Don’t. It’s so embarrassing. I don’t know where I get that laugh. My mom would never make such an unladylike noise, and I don’t remember my dad ever sounding like a hog in heat.”
I laughed, making her cheek bounce up and down against my chest. “Trust me, you don’t sound like a hog in heat. If you don’t believe me, there are some wild boars out by Aunt Suzy’s property I can introduce you to.”
“Now that sounds super romantic. I didn’t get that experience in Hartwood or East.”
I could have used that opening to ask her what kind of experience she did have.
Her defenses were down. She might say something that would give Ido an edge.
Damn that stupid contest. I was grateful that it led her to me, but I didn’t want it to come between us.
But how could it not when I’d just violated the one rule I’d promised myself I wouldn’t break?
“I should probably get you back.” I brushed her hair away from her cheek.
“Do we have to?” She closed her eyes and pressed her cheek into my palm.
“Unless we want them sending out a search party. I don’t know that anyone would care too much if I went missing, but I’m sure they’d come out looking for you.”
“I’d miss you if you went missing.”
“You might change your mind after you see what kinds of plans we’ve got in store over the next couple of weeks.”
“Really? Do I get to partake in another stargazing night with the local hospitality host?”
“About the contest . . . I feel like we should keep it under wraps if we’re going to be seeing each other on a personal level.” I waited to see how she’d respond.
“Are we going to be seeing each other on a personal level?”
“I’d like to.”
“I’m not sure that there’s anything in my contract that specifically states I can’t date my local contact.” She gazed up at me, a hint of hope in her eyes.
“I’m not sure I feel right about it.”
“You don’t think I can be impartial?”
“If you can be impartial after that”—I gestured between us—“then it obviously wasn’t as good for you as it was for me.”
Even in the dim light of the moon I could see a flush race over her cheeks. “I suppose we could agree not to see each other again. In a nonprofessional capacity, that is.”
“I’d rather keep doing this,” I admitted. “If that’s what you want.”
She tugged her lower lip into her mouth. “It is.”
I felt like jumping to my feet and executing a few fist pumps into the air. But I was naked. With the woman I’d been waiting for nestled in my arms. So, I settled for letting a wide grin spread over my lips as I bent down to kiss her again.
By the time we got half-dressed, kissed a bit more, finished our cups of wine, kissed some more, and finally settled in the cab of the truck, Buster hadn’t returned. I put my fingers to my mouth and let out a low whistle that usually had the dog racing to my side.
Several minutes passed and finally, Buster loped over the crest of the hill, his tongue lolling out of his mouth.
I climbed out and moved my seat forward so the dog could get in the back. “What the hell did you get into out there?”
Buster hopped into the truck, his tail wagging, his entire head covered in burrs.
“He looks like he had a good time.” Delilah swiped away a sloppy wet kiss Buster managed to surprise her with.
“He won’t think that when he’s getting a bath tomorrow.” I got back behind the wheel and started the truck.
“Hey.” Delilah put her hand on my arm, her touch already so familiar.
“What?”
“When are you going to tell me what you wished for? You said you could prove that wishing on a shooting star worked. How will I know if your wish came true?”
I turned to face her, the taste of her still on my lips. “It already did.”