Free Get To Me (8th Sin #1) by Holly Hood Page B

heading across the parking lot to his car.
    “You hungry?” he asks when we’re both seated.
    I buckle my seat belt. “Not really.”
    “You want me to drop you off at home?”
    I shake my head. “I have to get my car from the shelter.”
    “That’s right.” He starts the car up. “You sure you don’t want something to eat?”
    An awkward silence fills the car. I purse my lips, an intense heat surging through me at the thoughts going on inside my head. The only thing I want him to do is kiss me.
    “I took care of the thing.” His eyes hold mine.
    He raises his eyebrow.
    “There is no thing. I am a completely single girl, free to do whatever she wants.” My cheeks ignite in embarrassment.
    He brushes my bottom lip with his thumb. “That’s the best thing I’ve heard all day.”
    He moves in toward me and presses a kiss against my cheek, but doesn’t pull away. I touch his hand, giving my silent approval for him to continue. He moves even closer, as he slowly kisses me. Soft kisses are exchanged at first and then they deepen. He explores my mouth with his tongue. He’s a good kisser. I move closer to him and pull him in to me, my lips crashing against his.
    We continue to press and push against the other, our bodies throbbing and pounding as lust pulses through my veins. I grasp his hair as I pull him closer, and he eases forward and presses me against the steering wheel.
    He bites my bottom lip. When the horn sounds, ending our heated moment, we both laugh. My lips are throbbing and chafed from rubbing against the stubble on his face.
    He kisses my hand pressing his forehead into my arm and sighs. “Goddammit.”
    I stroke his hair. “What?”
    “You’re killing me.” We both look down to see the bulge in his slacks.
    I kiss him on the cheek. “Maybe we should get lunch.”
     
     
    ***
    I shake two packets of sugar and catch Jackson staring at me from across the table.
    “What?”
    He settles back in his chair. “I want to know about you.”
    I shrug, stirring my tea. “What would you like to know?”
    “I want to know what makes Savy tick.”
    I laugh. “Seems like a very odd question.”
    “It’s odd to want to know more about you?” He touches his chin. “What scares you the most in life?”
    I hesitate. “The same things that scare everyone else.”
    “You’re dodging.” He purses his lips and leans forward. “Come on, this is fun. It’s called getting to know one another.” He raises his glass.
    “Well, I don’t know.”
    “You don’t know or you never thought about it?” He crosses his arms. “I’ll tell you what I’m afraid of most. I’m afraid of never falling in love.”
    I hold back the eye roll.
    “And I know what you’re probably thinking. You think I’m trying out some smooth line on you now that we’ve shared a kiss.” He lifts his chin. “You think maybe this is my way of trying to get in your pants.”
    I cup my hands around my mug and bring it up to my lips and blow. “I never said that. I just think people worry way too much about love and finding the one, if you want to know the truth.”
    He smirks. “Oh damn. You really don’t hold back, do you?”
    “You look like you can take it.” I swallow down my tea. “Anyway, I don’t believe love only happens once in a lifetime. Call me crazy, but I think a person can fall for anyone, given the right circumstances.”
    “That sounds like something from someone who’s had their heart broken.”
    I don’t want to go there, so I stop him. “I thought I loved someone when I was in high school; he slept with my friend. Turns out I wasn’t meant to live the rest of my life with the first guy I slept with. So I moved on and learned from it.”
    “What did you learn?”
    “I learned to not be so stupid.” I cross my arms. “I learned what it felt like to have someone play with my emotions. And, most importantly, I learned I don’t like people dictating how I’m supposed to feel.”
    Jackson drops