Chapter 5 #2
My heart hammers. This is reckless. Stupid.
Dangerous. And exactly what I want. Without hesitation, I pull away from the curb.
Lacey sinks back into her seat with a slow exhale, and I press the accelerator.
I’m not even sure where I’m headed—just that I need to be alone with her, away from the city’s watchful eyes.
I end up parking on a quiet street near a closed park, dimly lit by distant streetlamps.
The hush out here is a stark contrast to the chaos of the arena.
My engine idles, the soft hum filling the silence.
Lacey stares out at the patches of lawn and tall trees swaying in the night breeze.
She turns to me, curiosity mingled with apprehension in her gaze.
I switch off the car. My heart thuds loudly. “I just… needed to pull over,” I explain. “Couldn’t drive aimlessly all night.”
She nods, unbuckling her seat belt and shifting in the seat to face me more fully.
Her hair frames her face, and the glow from the dashboard lights casts soft shadows on her skin.
I recall the taste of her lips, the feel of her body pressed against mine, and heat floods me.
I’m aware of every heartbeat, every breath.
“Oliver,” she whispers, and that single word trembles with emotion. “I can’t stop thinking about that kiss.”
The air in the car seems to thicken. My hand finds hers, our fingers intertwining. “Me neither,” I admit, my voice hoarse. “I know it’s wrong. But I can’t…” My words falter as she squeezes my hand.
She leans in, and my heart practically leaps out of my chest. “I don’t care right now,” she breathes. “All I can think about is how you made me feel. Safe. Wanted.”
I cup her cheek, letting my thumb brush over her skin. “You have no idea how much I want you,” I murmur. The confession feels like a rupture of everything I’ve held back.
She lets out a shaky exhale. “Then show me.”
That’s all it takes. I close the distance, capturing her mouth with mine.
This kiss is different from before—longer, deeper, fueled by the night’s adrenaline and the raw desire that’s been brewing between us for years.
She moans softly into my mouth, her hands sliding up my shoulders, gripping my jacket lapels.
I maneuver as best I can in the driver’s seat, pulling her closer.
The steering wheel digs into my side, but I don’t care.
She’s everything I can focus on—the soft press of her lips, the taste of champagne still lingering on her tongue, the faint scent of her perfume mixed with the electricity of her skin.
She shifts, half-rising over the console, and I slide a hand around her waist. My fingers splay across her lower back, feeling the curve of her body.
A growl of pure need slips from my throat as we deepen the kiss, tongues tangling.
My mind screams that this is insane, we’re in a car on a deserted street, but there’s a sweetness in giving in.
Lacey’s breath hitches as my hand drifts along her side, tracing the outline of her waist, daring to slip under the hem of her top.
I pause for a heartbeat, silently asking if this is okay, if she wants this as much as I do.
Her answer comes as she presses more firmly against me, her lips parting in a soft plea.
I tighten my hold, devouring her mouth. Every brush of our bodies makes me more desperate. I kiss down the line of her jaw, to the delicate skin of her neck. She inhales sharply, her fingers tangling in my hair. My pulse thrums in my ears. I’ve never felt something so forbidden and yet so right.
After a moment, we both gasp for air. I pull back slightly, resting my forehead against hers. We’re breathing in rough, shallow gulps, and the console digs uncomfortably into her thigh. The reality of our cramped space sets in.
“This isn’t ideal,” I mumble, trying to catch my breath. “You deserve more than a half-lit park and a cramped front seat.”
She searches my eyes. “I don’t care about perfect. I just want you.”
The simple honesty in her voice nearly undoes me. My hand, still under her top, settles against her warm skin. “We should slow down,” I manage, though my body screams otherwise. “For Fiona’s sake. And yours.”
She nods, tears of frustration gathering in her eyes. “I know. It’s just… everything feels so intense. And I’m scared if we stop, we’ll never start again.”
My chest constricts. I press a tender kiss to her temple, then linger by her ear. “I don’t think I could walk away from you now, even if I tried.” The admission is as terrifying as it is true.
We sit there for a long moment, breathing each other in, letting our racing hearts settle. Eventually, I gently guide her back into her seat. She buckles up, her hand still clasped in mine. The quiet night around us seems almost peaceful, as if we haven’t just shattered every boundary we once had.
My voice is soft. “Let me drive you home. We can figure this out. It doesn’t have to all happen tonight.”
She nods slowly, gaze flickering to my lips. “Okay.”
I start the engine, the soft rumble filling the car once again.
As I pull away, I keep our hands entwined, resting on the center console.
The warmth of her touch anchors me to this moment, reminding me that something new has begun, something that can’t be undone.
Something that feels as reckless as it does inevitable.
Neither of us speaks much on the way back to her apartment, but the silence is charged with unspoken promises.
I can’t stop glancing at her, memorizing the curve of her profile in the wash of passing headlights.
She looks at me the same way—like she’s seeing me for the first time, and I’m seeing her, too. Really seeing her.
By the time we pull up to her building, the air between us is thick again. I kill the engine, turning to face her fully. Lacey lifts a hand to my cheek, and I lean into her touch, eyes sliding shut at the contact.
“Thank you,” she whispers.
“For what?” My voice comes out rough, the single question trembling with everything I feel.
“For protecting me, even though I didn’t necessarily need it,” she says, lips curving in a tiny smile. “And for… this. All of it.”
I exhale a shaky breath. “I’m not sure what ‘this’ is yet.”
She pulls me in for a final, lingering kiss—this one sweet and gentle, all the frantic urgency melting into tenderness. “We’ll find out,” she whispers against my mouth. “Just promise me we won’t ignore it.”
I stroke her hair, heart aching with how badly I want her. “I promise.”
After another long moment, she slips away.
Her eyes meet mine, laden with desire and a hint of fear.
My chest tightens again. Everything about tonight has been a blur of violence, passion, confusion.
But in the midst of all that chaos, this raw, undeniable connection with Lacey stands out as the one thing that feels real.
She steps out of the car, and I watch her walk to her building’s entrance, turning back once to look at me.
When I give her a tiny wave, she returns a tremulous smile, then disappears inside.
My hand is still curled around the steering wheel, knuckles white, pulse throbbing in my neck.
I’m torn between wanting to run after her—pull her back into my arms—and realizing I need time to think.
I lean back in my seat, exhaling a ragged breath. The night stretches on, silent and suffocating. But all I can think about is how her lips felt on mine, how I might have crossed a line I can never uncross… and how, if given the chance, I’d do it all again in a heartbeat.
No—there’s no “if.” I will do it again. That’s the terrifying, beautiful truth.