Hard Limit (St. Louis Mavericks 2)

“Millions of people ride it every year. Don’t worry—I’ve got you.” I playfully squeezed his hand and we moved toward the small, rectangular opening when it was our turn.

To be fair, the tram was small and Lars was practically a giant, so he had to duck really low to get in. He didn’t look comfortable as he sat down, so I sank onto the seat next to him and slid my fingers between his once again.

“Don’t worry,” I whispered against his ear. “It’s going to be beautiful when we get to the top.”

He nodded just as the tram started to move and the pressure of his hand on mine increased in direct proportion to our ascent. The movement reminded me of a Ferris wheel, slow and somewhat rickety, so by the time we got to the top, his hand was sweaty and mine had gone numb from how hard he’d been squeezing it.

“It’s okay,” I said, sliding out of the car and looking around. “See?”

We entered the observation room at the top. It was smaller than I’d expected, but had a row of windows you could look out to see the view. So worth it.

“Oh, it’s beautiful,” I breathed, looking out at the Mississippi River and the western part of Illinois.

Lars didn’t say much, more interested in watching me than the view, but I thought it was breathtaking. Maybe not as magnificent as the view from the Empire State Building or the Eiffel Tower, but impressive nonetheless.

“I spend so much time on the go,” I mused, moving to the other side where I could see the St. Louis skyline. “I rarely take the time to appreciate the majesty of my hometown.”

“I think this is true for all of us,” he agreed quietly. “I never look for tourist places in Sweden.”

Our eyes met and something sparked between us, briefly, like a flash of lightning. Damn, he was so hard to read, but he also wasn’t like anyone I’d ever met before. Maybe that was why I liked him.

“You ready to go?” I asked when I’d finally gotten my fill of the view. I would have loved to stay up here for hours, but I sensed his discomfort and didn’t want to force him to stay any longer than necessary.

When we got back to the ground floor, I spotted the gift shop and had an idea, hoping to get a feel for the man behind the mask.

“Let’s go in the shop real quick,” I suggested, feeling giddy when he reached for my hand and nodded. He was much more relaxed now that we were on the ground and followed me amiably.

“Would you like a souvenir?” he asked politely, cocking his head.

“Yes, but I want you to pick it.” I grinned at him. “You go buy me something to remember our first date, and I’m going to go buy you something. But you can’t see it until we’re both done. How about we meet out front?”

He hesitated. “Yes. Okay.” He turned abruptly and went in the other direction, leaving me staring after him curiously.

I knew what I was buying him the minute I saw it—a replica of the Arch made from one of the cables used for the trams. It was kind of silly, but maybe it would remind him of me.

I paid for it and waited for him outside.

He joined me a minute later and immediately held out a bag. “For you.”

“Thank you.” I opened it and pulled out a mug with a picture of the St. Louis skyline on it. Well, I couldn’t give him points for originality, but at least it was one of the nicest mugs in the store. “Oh, this is pretty. Thank you. I’ll have my tea in it every morning.”

“You are welcome.”

“Well, this is for you.” I said, handing him my purchase and watching as he slowly opened it.

“This is…” His voice trailed off.

“Made from the same cables that carry the tram up and down. So you’ll remember your first, and probably only, trip to the Arch.”

Surprise flickered in his eyes as he stared at it. Then he put it back in the bag, wrapping it up carefully before turning to me. “This will be nice memory. Thank you.”

“Thank you for indulging me tonight. I know you didn’t really enjoy it, but I loved it. It was so beautiful up there.”

He reached out and put one of his big hands on the side of my face, his eyes softening as he looked at me. “Not as beautiful as you.”

Oh. Wow. It was his turn to catch me by surprise because I hadn’t thought he’d even noticed me. “Thank you,” I whispered, suddenly unable to find my voice.

“Sheridan.” His eyes were a deep, rich sapphire color as he stared down at me.

“Y-yes?”

“I can kiss you?”

“Oh. Yes. Definitely.”

He leaned in, sliding one hand around my waist and drawing me closer. He slanted his head and touched my lips with a soft, gentle caress. His mouth was tender for such a big guy, and my heart thudded with inexplicable excitement. When he nudged my lips apart with his tongue, I leaned into him and closed my eyes. I hadn’t thought we’d stand right outside the building making out, but here we were, and holy shit, could he kiss. His tongue was both teasing and dominating, working me up without him doing anything else.