Most of the men in the area “whooped” and attached themselves to a female. Harper’s name was being called out from across the table area by, what I assumed was, one of her admirers.
“I didn’t mean anything bad. I love you, and I want you to keep this strength you’ve found and be happy.”
“I know,” I said, and I did. But I didn’t want to give into this feeling of unease any longer. It could be consuming if I let it be.
“What do you say?” Cal asked. “Want to be my partner?”
Though I didn’t know what “the races” consisted of, how bad could it be? I was trying to branch out, after all. I was in a safe place. And there was something about Cal, a recklessness, yet a responsibility in him that was intriguing. I thought of Jack. Thought of the game we played and how honesty could be helpful. Yet another game it was looking like I lost.
Though it may have been a one night encounter, he’d taught me something: honesty could be a valuable thing.
“F
irst, I’m going to ask you a question, and you say the first thing on your mind.”
“Okay,” Cal agreed.
“What are you thinking about right now?”
He grinned. “My stubble against your thighs.”
My eyes shot wide. I didn’t know what to say to his admission. It spurred some interesting thoughts. Like, what it would feel like, his strong jaw trailing up my thighs, the tickle of that light brown stubble scratching as he got closer to my—
He grabbed my hand and tugged me toward the open field at the back of the park. Men were lining up, getting ready to race, and their female counterparts were standing in front of them.
“Just stand like that,” he said, ushering me to face him. He was only two inches away, and staring at me.
“What kind of race is this?”
“The firefighting kind.”
“Go!” a yell rang out.
With that, Cal bent and hoisted me up, tossing me over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. I screamed, then laughed, as he ran down the open meadow to God knows where, while he carried me. Thankfully, his strong forearm was clamping my skirt down, so I wasn’t flashing everyone. I bounced around and held on tightly to his belt, trying not to overstep and actually touch his ass, his seemingly perfect ass.
I realized the side of his face was, in fact, against my outer thigh. Not the picture I’d originally thought of, but it made sense now.
“Switch!” the voice rang out.
At the command, Cal spun me around, like I weighed nothing, and held me like he would a damsel in distress. With one arm under my knees, the other was tight around my back. He carried me, my shins swinging, as he bounded toward the finish line.
My arms wrapped around the back of his neck, and I clung to him. His nose tickled my ear, and a shot of warmth raced through me.
I laughed and held on tight. The finish line was in sight. So close…
“Winner!” the voice rang out.
I looked up at Cal, and he smiled down at me, breathing hard.
“Did we win?”
He nodded. “Fuck, yeah, we did.”
There were groans and cheers and people talking. Everyone started heading back toward the garage, delivering a few slaps to Cal’s back as they went. But Cal stood there, hanging on to me.
Tears lined my eyes, and I hated that my emotions were getting the better of me.
“Ah, no, did I hurt you?” his voice was so soft, so concerned. I shook my head.