Dirty Toe Drag (Nashville Assassins Next Generation 6)

“Whatever. You do not, and you already took a pic on the bike with me. Also, I need that photo.”

I bring out my phone, sending it to her. “Because you were in the shot with me.”

“Fine,” she says, falling into my side. Her hair fans along my chest as she looks up at her phone. I lean my head on hers, looking up too as we both smile. “Another one.”

I kiss her temple, and I hear the click. “One more,” she says before tipping her head back and meeting her lips to mine. It surprises me, but I don’t miss a beat. I cup her jaw in my hand, melting into her. Her hand comes up over mine as I draw the kisses out of her. Or rather, she draws them from me. Hell, I don’t know. I’m basically in heaven. When we part, it’s only a breath away, so I kiss her top lip.

“I’ve been waiting for that,” she says softly, and I kiss her once more.

“Yeah, it’s been hard not to kiss the hell out of you every chance I get.”

“Why didn’t you?”

I kiss her nose. “I felt I disrespected you the first time.”

She shrugs. “I mean, I wasn’t innocent.”

“Sure.” I kiss her top lip. “But like you said, you’re worth more, and I want you to know I know that. I respect that, and I want this time to mean something.”

Stella’s eyes are hooded and breathtaking as she looks up at me through her long lashes. I love the gray of her eyes; they’re light in some spots but dark in others. When she grabs me by my shirt, bringing me down to her, I come willingly. And when our lips meet, everything inside me catches fire. Fucking hell, she drives me wild. Our kisses are sweet, soft, and savory. We take our time, our lips moving together in the purest way.

As we part, her lips curve, and she sighs happily. “This is, like, the best date ever, Wesley. Thank you.”

“Anything for you.”

Her lips curve into the brightest smile as she holds up a piece of cheese for me. I take it from her fingers, nipping her for good measure before I ask, “Are you going to post those?”

“I want to,” she says softly, looking through them, and I have to say the grin on her face makes my insides turn to goo. “But I want to give you the chance to talk to Aiden first. I don’t want him getting in his feelings.”

“For sure.”

But then I watch as she goes to Instagram and makes a post. It’s the perfect shot of us kissing, and she positions it to where the image is only of our hands and bodies. “Well, that’s smart.”

“Right?”

She writes the caption, and now I’m grinning like I just scored the winning goal.

When you’re young, they say you know nothing. But I know how he makes me feel: special.

I kiss her temple once more. “Funny, I was feeling the same.”

She looks up at me, and I notice she turns her phone off before throwing it down. She moves her fingers along my jaw, the swelling of my nose and eye. “Did you really have them rebreak your nose?”

I laugh as I kiss her hand. “I did.”

“That’s so badass.”

“Hurt like a bitch. I almost cried.”

She giggles. “That’s so manly.”

“I am a man’s man.”

“Yes, you are, Wesley.”

I lean in, both of us grinning before our lips meet. I never realized there is something special about kissing for the first time at the start of a relationship, but then, I never wanted a relationship like I do now.

* * *

Once we clean up, we ride the bike back to the truck. I’m a little nervous about leaving the setup, but Amber, my friend, is on her way to collect everything. The ride back is just as fun as the ride there. I feel like Stella has forgotten about the death of her shoes and is full of smiles and laughter. We stayed out way longer than I expected, but I don’t think either of us wanted it to end. She also never pulled out her phone again. She kept it off, and that surprised me. I know how much she loves her phone and posting and texting, but she gave me her undivided attention.

It was really nice.

When we get to the spot where the guy is waiting for the bike, she gets off before me, thanking him as I do the same. “I’m serious about getting a tandem bike.”

“I believe you.”

“And you’ll ride with me?”

I scoff. “You’re only riding with me. No one gets to watch your ass but me.”

She snorts with laughter as I grab her hand, threading our fingers together. She leans into me as we head over the bridge that broke her shoe. I notice that she flips the bridge the bird, and I laugh. “Want me to burn it?”