Chapter 23 Noel #2
Her back straightened as she preened. “I know. But seriously, you’re smart enough to do anything you want. I just wanted to make sure football was what you loved most.”
I blinked and shook my head. “Did you just call me...smart?” Someone color me shocked.
She furrowed her brow. “Of course you’re smart. I always knew that. It takes a mad set of brains to always say the exact thing in class you know will tick me off the most.”
Laughing, I shook my head and finished off my fourth corn dog, but inside I was still flattered she’d called me smart. When I spotted another food stand not far away, I dusted the crumbs off my fingers and turned my attention back to her. “Okay. Enough about me. I want to hear more about you.”
Her smile was a little uncertain. “Me? What do you want to know about me?”
Leaning a little across the table, I sent her a look as if to tell her to brace herself because this was a serious question. With my voice lowered, I asked, “What’s your favorite flavor of ice cream?”
She blinked and then threw her head back and laughed. “I don’t know. Vanilla?”
Wrinkling my nose, I exploded, “Vanilla? Who the hell prefers vanilla over all the other flavors out there?”
“Hey!” she scolded, half-laughing and half-insulted. “Don’t bash my tastes. What’s your favorite?”
“Easy. Rocky Road.”
“Interesting.” Making a sound in the back of her throat, she tapped her chin with her finger and studied me. “Is that some kind of symbolism for the way your life has gone?”
I snorted and rolled my eyes. “Okay, Miss Literature Professor. Enough of that shit. Not everything is an analogy on life. Sometimes, we just like the way something tastes.” Licking my lips, I swayed toward her as my attention dropped to her mouth. “Kind of how I like the way you taste.”
“Don’t,” she warned instantly, all smiles gone as she pulled back and arched me her nervous glance.
Fuck, I’d forgotten I was keeping this strictly platonic.
“I forgot.” Lifting my hands, I instantly backed off. “My bad, seriously. I’m sorry. But now you have me craving ice cream. If I can’t have the other thing I crave right now, you owe me a big, double-scooped cone full of Rocky Road.”
Standing up, I reached across the table for her hand and pulled her up behind me.
I’d never been a hand-holder before today, but I liked twining my fingers through hers and pressing our palms together.
There was something wholesome and innocent and yet utterly erotic about swinging our arms in sync as we walked side by side.
“Mmm, now this is why I dragged you here,” I said after we both had cones full of ice cream. “I couldn’t very well buy ice cream by myself.”
Aspen tempted me out of my mind with the flash of her tongue as she lapped up her vanilla coated in chocolate and crushed M what was another couple hours? Besides, I wanted her to experience the one thing I’d brought her here to do.
“Come on.” I took her hand and helped both of us to our feet. “I think it’s about time for the main event.”
“Main event?” Her smile was curious with a hint of eager excitement. “What’s the main event?”
I pointed to the lights behind us on the other side of the vendor’s market strip. In the distance, the brightened outline of a Ferris wheel rotated slowly.
Grinning, I lowered my mouth to her ear. “You’re about to experience your first carnival, Dr. Kavanagh.”
Her beautiful lips parted with awe. The colorful lights from the amusement park reflected in her dazzled eyes. Spinning to me, she sputtered. “But how did you know I’ve never...?”
Damn, she must not remember anything from the drunken conversation we’d had together, which was too damn bad, because I couldn’t forget a single detail of it.
Lifting her fingers laced with mine to my mouth, I kissed her knuckles lightly and winked. “It’s an old ESP trick I learned from my literature professor.”