“That’s what being captain will get you. Well, a nice parking spot and first choice of tuna casserole in the lunchroom.”

“Yeah, the parking spot is the real perk,” she agrees, and I hear her soft laughter as she gets into my car. When I get into the driver's seat, she looks over at me. “Nice ride too.”

“Thanks.” I don’t know what to say to that, so I just take the compliment. It was a present from my dad for making captain over the summer. “You pick the music.”

When I hand Celeste my phone, she looks at it and then up at me like it’s a bomb. “Okay.” She looks so nervous I can’t help my grin.

“Here.” I open my phone and choose the music app. “Scroll through and play something you like.”

“This feels like a test.” She bites her lip again, and I swear every time she does it, it drives me crazy.

“Not a test. I just want to know what you like.” I wink at her as I put the car in drive and exit the parking lot.

The first song she plays surprises me because it’s one of my favorites too. I’m not in a hurry to end our time together, so I drive around the island while she plays songs and we talk. It’s easy with Celeste, as easy as breathing, and it feels like I’m filling my lungs for the first time.

“I’m just at the end of the street,” she says and points to the blue house on the corner. As I make the turn, I notice the dark SUV coming in my direction. The way the sun is hitting against the windshield, I can’t see who it is, but it looks like my dad’s car.

“What’s wrong?” she asks as I pull into her driveway.

“Nothing, I just thought I saw someone I know.” There’s something tickling the back of my mind, and I’m wondering why my dad would be on this street. Maybe he was checking on a rental property or something. I push the thought away and put the car into park. While the music still plays softly, I turn to face Celeste.

“How bad is my face?” she asks as she looks up at me and then to her house. “My mom is going to ask a million questions.”

“You might have a bruise, but nothing major.” I take her hand again and rub the tips of my fingers against hers. How is her skin so damn soft?

“Thank you again for taking care of me. It seems like you’ve been doing that a lot lately.” She looks up at me through her lashes, and like this she looks so sweet and innocent.

“I hope to do it again.” I lean in close and slide my hand up her neck to cup the back of her head. “Maybe not so dramatically next time.” She smiles as I lean in closer, my lips only a breath from hers. “But yeah. I want to take care of you.”

Gently I press my lips to hers, and when I feel her mouth move against mine, I thread my fingers in her hair. Her hand goes to my chest, and I feel her grip my shirt as she pulls me closer. Her soft lips part, and I slide just the tip of my tongue along them, and she moans. The sound resonates through me like an electric shock, and I pull her closer, angry that the center console is separating us. The kiss goes from seeking permission to demanding submission in a nanosecond, and all of a sudden I’m a man with needs.

There’s a loud knock on the glass, and we pull apart to see a woman standing outside the car with her arms crossed.

“Shit, that’s my mom.” Celeste flushes and grabs her bag. “Sorry, I gotta go.”

“Hey.” I grab her wrist to stop her from jumping out so fast. “There’s a party at my place on Saturday. Will you come?”

“Um, I’ll see. Maybe if I’m not grounded.” She opens the door and looks back at me once more.

“I’ll text you,” I say quietly, and the corner of her lips turns up as she nods. “Hello, Mrs. Binx,” I say, and she scowls at me before slamming my car door. “Goodbye, Mrs. Binx,” I say, but neither of them can hear me as they go into the house.

This was not the way I wanted to be introduced to Celeste's mom. But kissing her is exactly how I imagined it would be.

Life-altering and perfect.

Chapter Seven

Celeste

“Is there something you want to tell me?” Mom asks, following me into the house. I can’t hide my blush. Heck, who am I kidding? I can’t hide anything from her. It’s the downside to my mom being able to read people so easily.

She never talks much about her childhood and always avoids the subject if I bring it up. If I had to bet, I’m guessing she learned to read people at a young age. I don’t want to think about why she would have needed those skills as a child.

Tags: Alexa Riley Billionaire Romance
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