Free One Night (Friends #0.5) by Monica Murphy

different?
    It’s like the moment we just shared is stuck on rewind in my brain. How her body felt beneath my hands. How responsive she was when I kissed her. How much I wanted to take that kiss further, but something held me back. I could sense she was hanging on by a thread. One wrong move would shatter her and I needed to treat her like she was made of glass.
    “Cannon!”
    The sound of her voice makes me stop and I turn to watch as she makes her way to where I stand. She stops just in front of me and grabs my hand, interlacing our fingers together. It takes her a moment to speak and I realize she’s trying to catch her breath first.
    Meaning she just chased after me.
    Wild.
    “Why did you leave?” she finally asks.
    “Why did you come after me?”
    She squeezes my hand, her gaze never leaving mine. “Why did you kiss me?”
    Because I can’t resist you? I can’t answer that question truthfully. Instead, I shrug. “I don’t know.”
    Emily gives me a look, one that says bullshit. “Be real with me right now,” she murmurs.
    I don’t know how I can hear her soft voice, what with all the noise surrounding us, but I do. As if all of my senses are so completely focused on her, I see and hear nothing else.
    So it’s my turn to squeeze her hand as I bend forward and dip my head close to hers, her damp hair brushing against my face. She smells good, like strawberries. “There’s something about you that I can’t resist,” I whisper in her ear.
    When I pull away, she’s smiling. “Is that a line, Cannon Whittaker?”
    Shaking my head, I crack a smile as I say, “No ma’am.”
    She bursts out laughing. “Did you just call me ma’am?”
    “Yeah.” I shuffle my feet and look down at the floor. Could I be any dumber? “I did.”
    “Come on. Let’s go outside.” She tugs on my hand and I follow after her, surprised when she takes us through the front door. The moment we walk outside, the air is cooler, a fresh breeze washing over us, and I’m grateful to be out of that house, away from the noise and the heat. I suck in a deep breath as I let her lead me down the front steps, past a couple literally writhing around on the front lawn, their arms and legs intertwined.
    “Get a room,” Emily yells at them, making me laugh.
    “Where we going, Em?” I ask her as she leads me past the fence that surrounds Tuttle’s front yard. I’m not sure what she’s up to, but I’m game for whatever as long as I can spend more time with her.
    “Right here,” she says, pointing to a bench that sits in front of the fence, right at the start of the walkway leading to the front door. “Let’s sit down.”
    I glance around before sitting on the iron bench, Emily nestled up right next to me. I slip my arm around her shoulders and tug her in closer, liking how easily she fits. Like we were made to sit like this together.
    Corny as hell, but true.
    “Um, I hate to tell you this, but if we’re going to make out, we’ll be putting on a public display right here,” I say, my ears going hot the moment the words leave my mouth. I’m such an idiot. I don’t know why I’m embarrassed but I need to get over myself.
    She giggles. “I didn’t bring you here to hook up, Cannon.”
    I fight the disappointment that threatens to take over when she glances up at me, amusement glittering in her eyes. The moon is bright at only half full, yet I can see her clearly, her face gilded silver. She’s beautiful.
    I wonder if anyone has ever told her that.
    “Then what are we doing?” I ask her, looking around like I’m confused. Because I am confused. By the entire night, by this girl, by the way she’s looking at me, how she kissed me. Everything’s happening so fast and I have no control over it, which is the hard part, you know? I’m usually in control of everything.
    “Here.” She reaches out and touches her fingers lightly to my jaw, tilting my head back. “Look at the sky.”
    Emily drops her hand and I lean against the