Chapter 24
Xander and I were making our way back toward the parking garage when I stumbled over…absolutely nothing.
Xander grabbed my elbow, steadying me. “Are you okay?” he asked.
I blinked a few times, but it was hard to focus. The drinks at the Lobby Bar had been strong, and I’d downed mine quickly—and finished Xander’s as well. The alcohol, it seemed, was just hitting me. And hitting hard.
“I’m okay,” I said. “Only…” I grimaced at my bleak realization. “I don’t think it’s a good idea for me to be driving right this minute.”
Xander nodded, his eyes on me full of concern. If he was at all disappointed by the delay in our plans, he didn’t show it.
On the other hand, I wanted to scream and curse in frustration. I couldn’t believe it. Now, the thing that was keeping us apart was my own lousy judgment.
“Do you want to sit down?” Xander asked. “Should I get you some water?”
I thought about it, then shook my head. “No,” I said. “I think I just need some fresh air.”
As it turned out, that was easier said than done.
The hotel-casinos had floor plans like mazes.
They were designed to keep people looping back for one more drink, one more roll of the dice, one more spin of the slot machine.
Yes, there were directional signs, but in my current state, I wasn’t exactly the best navigator.
We took more than a few wrong turns before we finally found the exit leading out to the boardwalk.
We pushed open the big tinted-glass doors.
Although my coat was still locked in the car, the initial blast of cold was a welcome relief from the over-warmth inside.
As we stepped outside, our footsteps making that dull thunk on the boards, I took big, grateful gulps of the salty ocean air.
Almost immediately, my head started to clear.
The boardwalk was empty of people, but a couple of seagulls swooped down to check us out. When they determined we didn’t have any munchies, they honked at us in displeasure and flew away, leaving us to ourselves.
“Oh, I know this place,” said Xander, glancing past me and pointing at the amusement pier across from us. “I used to swim up under there at high tide and listen to the people and the music. But I’ve never seen it from this angle.”
He wanted to get a closer look. As we strolled across to the ocean side of the boardwalk, he wrapped his arm around me, and I leaned into the warmth of his body—who needed a coat when you had a big, hunky portable heater?
Since the snowstorm, the boards had mostly been shoveled or plowed.
But as a result, there were big mounds of snow piled up along the ocean side of the wooden walkway that hadn’t yet melted, blocking our view of the pier.
It took some doing, but we eventually managed to find a clear spot to stand that gave us a decent perspective.
“It’s called the Steel Pier,” I told Xander over the roaring crash of the surf.
The pier was empty and dark now, lit only by the moon, closed for the duration of the off season.
The games and concession stands were all boarded up.
The rides were chained off, silent and motionless, save for the vacant Ferris wheel cars that rocked in the ocean breeze.
“It’s kind of an Atlantic City landmark.
But I don’t think it opens again until the spring. ”
Xander pointed to a sign on one of the food stands. “Cotton candy?” he asked.
I nodded. “It’s a boardwalk staple.”
“Candy made out of cotton?” He frowned skeptically. “Does it taste like a shirt?”
I laughed. “No,” I said. “It’s like…eating a cloud. A sweet, sticky, sugary cloud that melts on your tongue.”
“Wow,” he said, smiling wistfully. “That sounds incredible.”
As we continued to regard the pier, I thought about bringing Xander back here in the springtime so he could taste cotton candy. And corn dogs and deep-fried Oreos. I imagined us playing ring toss and balloon darts too. Riding the big Ferris wheel and getting stuck at the top.
Of course, that was assuming he would still be here in the spring…
Out of nowhere, a flash of lightning illuminated the night sky.
Oh, no! I thought. It’s supposed to rain tonight, isn’t it?
I’d taken the Kia to avoid exactly this predicament. But after one damn cocktail, I’d stupidly put Xander in a vulnerable position.
As a few fat drops fell to the boards with a splat, I turned to him. Clearly, his alarm bells were going off too. “We need to—”
All at once, the heavens seemed to crack open, unleashing a downpour.
“—run!” I shouted, finishing my statement. Heart racing, I grabbed Xander by the arm and dragged him under the nearest shelter: the entranceway to the closed amusement pier.
Beneath the cover of the archway, we both stood for a few moments without speaking, watching the deluge. But soon enough, it registered: we both stood. We were dotted here and there with raindrops, yes, but we were both standing. On our legs.
“So, are you…?” I didn’t know how to finish the question, but I figured he’d get my drift.
“I’m fine,” Xander said with a reassuring nod. “My legs didn’t get wet enough to trigger a change.”
My whole body sighed with relief. We were safe then. It had been a close call, but Xander was safe from discovery.
And on the plus side, dealing with the crisis had sobered me up completely. I was clear-eyed and alert now, perfectly okay to drive. But on the minus side, there was no way for us to get to the car without getting drenched. We were trapped.
I peered out from under our dry little alcove. Massive sheets of rain fell between us and the entrance back into the Hard Rock, which led back to the parking garage. I gave Xander an apologetic look.
“We could be here for a while,” I said.
He took a step closer to me. He wasn’t just warm. He was on fire. And the way he looked at me was nothing short of nuclear. “How will we ever pass the time?” he asked.
I no longer felt the cold. Desire heated me from the inside out. Maybe being stranded together under the arcade wasn’t so bad after all.
He reached for me, brushing his thumb along my jaw, threading his fingers up through my hair, cupping my head in his palm. My whole body tingled with anticipation.
He leaned closer, and I breathed in the scent of him. He smelled like the sea air around us, fresh and clean. But there was something else there too. Something sweeter than cotton candy. Mysterious and utterly intoxicating. Something distinctly him.
Need ripped through me. Ravenous for him, I grasped the lapels of his jacket, tugging him closer still.
Then, his mouth was on mine, eager and greedy. His tongue slipped between my lips, searching me with his characteristic curiosity, and I matched his enthusiasm. I held nothing back. I wanted him to know me. All of me. And I wanted to know all of him.
Somewhere deep in the recesses of my brain, I realized I hadn’t just been waiting days for this. I’d been waiting years, ten of them, ever since I was sixteen years old. I kissed him with both the innocent wonder of a girl and the raw, sexual hunger of a woman.
As we kissed and kissed and kissed, I ran my hands over him, feeling the contours of his body through his clothing. I would have happily spent eternity like this, no regrets whatsoever.
Finally, I did have to break our lip-lock or risk suffocating—although, FYI, I seriously considered suffocation before I reluctantly drew away. “You really can hold your breath for a long time, can’t you?” I asked, gasping for air.
“Sorry,” he said, lightly stroking my cheek. “Are you okay?”
“Never better,” I said. Then, with a deep breath, I pulled him in for round two.
It was a while before either of us noticed the drenching rain had stopped.
* * *
On the drive back to the Sunny Side, Xander wasn’t so interested in what was under the hood of my Kia anymore.
Even with my eyes on the road, I could feel his gaze on me, practically devouring me.
The short car ride seemed to take forever, every red light lasting a lifetime.
But finally—finally—we pulled up to the B and B.
Xander’s hands were already on me as I unlocked the front door. In our haste to get inside, we all but fell through the doorway, nearly tripping over Casey.
Casey. Right.
I’d already taken him on a long walk before Xander and I had left for dinner. But I should probably let him out one more time.
Xander must have noticed me puzzling over the dog and figured out the rest. “Do what you need to do,” he said next to my ear. “I’ll meet you in the bedroom.”
“We tried that plan once before,” I reminded him. “It didn’t end up so well.”
He flashed me a teasing grin. “I wasn’t the one who fell asleep snoring.”
“I do not snore,” I said, giving him a playful shove. But now, I was just wasting time. “Okay. Two minutes,” I said, reaching for the leash hanging by the door. “I’ll be back in two minutes.”
I started to clip Casey into his harness, and Xander headed back toward my room.
“Oh, wait!” I called, remembering. I didn’t want anything to derail us this time. “Let’s use your room. Just in case that leak starts up again.”