Juicy Rebound (IceCats 1)

Shelli makes a face. “You know you’re going to have a hard time keeping a woman, right?”

He nods. “Which is why I’m single.”

With that, they both get up.

“I think it’s more her than him.”

“Oh, totally,” Shelli agrees, which makes Amelia glare.

I can’t help but laugh. Our eyes meet once more, and Amelia bites her lip. She lifts her glass and drains it. I reach for the bottle, holding it out to her, and she offers me her glass. I fill it and then mine before setting the bottle down.

Amelia takes a quick breath and lets it out in a whoosh. “Want to go out on the deck?”

I nod. “Sure.” I get up and come around to her, pulling the chair out for her as she gets up. As she rises, her eyes meet mine, and my heart nearly stops. They’re so blue, so mesmerizing. I step back when I realize I’m crowding her, and she grabs her glass. I open the door for her, and the ocean air blows into us as we step out onto her deck. She walks the short distance to the railing and sets her glass there. I lean my hip against the railing and look out at the ocean as the sounds envelop us.

I take a sip of my wine before glancing over at her. She’s messing with her nails nervously. When she looks up at me, her eyes are so sad. Gone is the light in them, and it knocks the breath out of me. I want to step forward, take her hand but… Shit. Without wasting any more time thinking about it, I take her hand, lacing my fingers with hers as I meet her gaze. Her eyes widen with surprise, and I squeeze her hand.

“What’s wrong?”

“I don’t know what I’m doing.”

“What do you mean?”

Tears well up in her eyes, but she looks away. “My life is a mess, Chandler. I don’t know what I want. I don’t know what I am doing, and I sure as hell don’t want to depend on a man to give me happiness. I did that before. Big fail.” She takes in a deep breath, finally looking up at me. “Listen, I know we’ve got this thing between us. I know it seems like it can be something, but I’m telling you, it’s not a good idea.”

“I think I can be the judge of that,” I say simply, and then I set down my glass. “I get it. You feel lost, but I think you can find yourself quickly. I know it doesn’t seem that way,” I add when she goes to protest. “But make some changes. The thing is, Amelia, you have already started.”

“I have?”

“Yeah, you called your mom, and you fixed that. So, what is it? Your job? You can fix that tomorrow.”

“It’s not that easy.”

“It is,” I insist, and then I cup her beautiful face in my hand. “You can go to the gym tomorrow, get the job, and then you’ll be back in the routine.”

She blinks as she looks up at me. “I don’t want to string you along. Everyone tells me I just need a rebound relationship, but I don’t want to do that to you. I don’t think you’re that kind of guy.”

I shrug, and while I want to be bothered by her comment, I’m not. “I get what everyone is saying. Everyone said it to me, so I did it, and I felt nothing. It didn’t heal what Lana did. It didn’t make my life better, because it was just a fuck. You’re right, I’m not that guy—”

“Which is the problem because I’m not sure I can offer more than that.”

Doesn’t she see she could if she allowed herself? It’s so frustrating, but it’s a small bump in the road. “I told you, I just want to see what happens.”

“But I’m so fucked—”

“You’re perfect,” I insist as I gaze into her sweet eyes. She scoffs, but I shake my head. “I think you are. I know you don’t agree, but I’m sure.”

“Chandler—”

“Amelia,” I whisper, and she looks up through her lashes. “Can we try?”

“Try?”

“Yeah, just see what happens?”

“What if it goes to hell in a handbasket?”

I grin. “Then at least we know.”

“What about Ryan? He kept us apart before—”

“But he won’t now,” I insist. Her lips are right there, so wet and lush. I take a deep breath, staring at them. “I have to kiss you.”

She inhales sharply, her eyes full of shock, but then lust creeps in as she continues to stare at me. “Are you sure?”

“I’ve never been surer of anything in my life.”

Before she can answer, I take her plump mouth with mine. My heart is pounding against my ribs, and I worry she can feel the sweat from my hands. Hot damn, she feels good in my arms. Her mouth is moving with mine, and I don’t want to be anywhere else. When I deepen the kiss, a small moan tries to escape, but I won’t let it. I taste the wine but then just her as our tongues tangle together. When we were younger, our kiss was fast and urgent, but this time, it’s slow and inviting. Lust builds in my blood as I hold her closer, drinking from her sweet mouth. My cock strains in my jeans, and I want her so fucking bad. Her hands come up, wrapping around the back of my neck as she steps closer to me. I can’t take it. I turn her, pressing her into the railing a little too hard, but I need her. I want her.