I scrunch my face up and squint at him. “What gives, dude? You’ve always stayed neutral when Grinder and I argue over girls on the trail. Why are you getting involved this time?”

Bats groans as he turns his gaze toward the ceiling. “For fuck’s sake. If you don’t go over and talk to her, I will. She is the only hope either of us have of talking to anyone other than Grinder for the next four months. Is that what you want?”

I hold my hands up as I back away. “Okay, Okay. I’m going,” I assure him. It’s not that I haven’t been looking for an opening to talk to her, rather Bats’ prompting rings as a touch odd. Still, he’s right that something is bothering Belle. And I need to find out what it is before it’s too late.

As I cross the lobby, she’s glaring at her phone again, a low growl escaping that perfect mouth of hers. “Everything okay over here?” I ask as I draw near. Belle jolts, clutching her phone to her chest. “Whoa. It’s just me.”

“Shit. Sorry, I’m . . .” Belle trails off, tucking a few brunette strands behind her ear. She takes a deep, centering breath. “All done? I wouldn’t mind getting to whatever hotel Grinder’s booked us.”

“Uh, no. We’re still waiting,” I tell her, trying to read her expression, but it’s a jumbled mess. “You okay?”

“Hmm? Yeah. I’m fine,” she tells me, but she’s avoiding looking at me.

I cock an eyebrow at her. “Really? Because it looks like you’ve been reading that flier there for the last ten minutes.”

Belle’s gaze turns toward the yellow piece of paper tacked to the center of the board. “What? Oh, yes. There’s a local tavern doing a special event for PCT hikers. Discounts if you show your permit. Should be quite the crowd, I’d guess.”

I reach over and tap her phone. “Then why do you look ready to kill your phone?”

Belle sucks in a deep breath. It comes out shaky, and I have an overwhelming desire to wrap her in my arms. I settle for stepping closer and placing a finger under her chin, tilting her face toward mine. There’s indecision in her eyes. Hurt, too, though I don’t know from what. She looks back at me, though, so it’s not me. Maybe I can still fix this. Convince her to stay. “Belle . . . I know that you’ve still been thinking about leaving us.”

“What? No, Nova . . .”

“I overheard you and Bats walking back into camp the other night,” I tell her, and she stills. “It’s okay. I get it. But please . . . let me say what I need to? I’ve been trying to find the right words all day, because if I don’t get them out . . .” I take another deep breath. “I know Grinder has been an ass lately . . .”

Belle snorts. “Lately?”

“Yeah, okay. From the start. But please believe me when I say that’s not the real him. If I could, I’d leave him here and keep you instead. Except, I can’t, because he belongs here with us . . . just like you, Belle. I don’t know how to explain it, but when I look at you . . . I know you’re supposed to be here with us . . . with me. And if I can’t convince you with words, then maybe this will convince you.”

I tilt her face up to mine while wrapping my other hand around her waist, pulling her closer before I can chicken out. Those luscious lips that have been plaguing my thoughts part enough for a breathy “Nova . . .” to escape. I close the distance between her mouth and mine.

There are three incredible memories in my life that I’ll never forget.

Third, spring break in Miami, freshman year of college. Although those memories get a little hazy, thanks to ample amounts of booze and some great weed that our friend Jordan brought with him.

Second, going skydiving with Bats and Grinder. Watching the ground rushing up at you before your chute opens, leaving you to float above the earth. If you can get past the idea of jumping out of a perfectly good airplane, it’s exhilarating.

First, getting the news that the lump in my mom’s breast wasn’t cancer. That had been the scariest month of my life. For all of my family. Even the guys and their families were on edge that month. Getting that news . . . I’ve never been so relieved.

The first time I kiss Elizabeth Dawson makes those moments seem mundane.

Her lips are the softest I’ve ever kissed. Like they were made with angel down wrapped in rose petals. As our lips press together, so do our bodies. The smooth contours of hers folding into mine. Wrapped in my arms, it’s like she was made for me. Or maybe I was made for her. This moment is no longer about trying to convince Belle to stay, but to let her know that I’m hers to claim, if she’ll have me. That thought should scare me, but it doesn’t. It feels right.

I hesitate to deepen our kiss, fearful of crossing the line between letting her know how I feel and showing her the intensity of my desire to be with her. Belle must have been thinking the same, and clearly she’s decided. Her lips part in invitation, and I take it. Our mouths and tongues dance with a desperate need for more.

Time seems to stand still, and everything else drops away as we share this perfect moment. I wish we could stay like that, but the amused snickering of passersby reaches our ears and I break our kiss, remembering that we’re standing in the middle of a post office.

Belle lets out a low, approving hum. “Hmm. Not bad,” she says. The glint in her eyes, her heavy breathing, and the way she’s clutching my shirt like she’s desperate to rip it off of me says otherwise. That was better than not bad. “But one kiss isn’t enough to convince me. Who’s to say it wasn’t a fluke? It’s been a while since I’ve had a good kiss. It’s only natural that my body would react.”

I could call bullshit, but the yellow flier on the board behind her catches my attention and an idea forms. I grin. “You’re a scientist. Right?”

“Uh . . . yeah. Degree and two minors.”

“You like repeatable results then. Right?”

A playful smirk tugs up the corners of her luscious lips. “Kind of part of the scientific method.” She pauses and squints at me. “Why do I feel you’re looking for an excuse to kiss me again?”

I shrug. Fuck, yes, I am.

“Not once. Three times. Give me three more kisses to prove to you how much I want you to stay.”

“Hmm. I think I can handle that.”

She reaches up to pull me back down, but I catch her hand, cradling it with my own. “Oh, no. I pick when. If you kiss me, you can prepare yourself for it. That would taint the results. Right?”

“Then what do you suggest? Are you going to randomly kiss me in front of Bats and Grinder while we watch TV in the room tonight?”

I shake my head, then point at the flier. “The hiker party at the tavern tonight. Let me take you out for dinner and drinks.”

“Won’t alcohol also ‘taint the results’?”

I smirk. “Why, Belle? Are you that much of a lightweight?”

She cocks an eyebrow at me. “You met Rachel, right? She’s a cocktail of the week sort of gal. She makes me keep up.”

“Then you should have no problem with a beer or two.”

She shrugs her shoulders and sighs, but it’s all for show. “I guess that works. Who knows, I might find a new group to hike with.”

I grasp her by the hips and pull her closer. She sucks in a gasp in anticipation, causing her breasts to push into me. Her lips part, ready to be kissed. I damn near give in, too, but this is a challenge now. A game to win her over. To keep her for as long as she’ll have us. Have me. It’s a game I won’t lose. I can’t lose. Because if she walks away now, I couldn’t bear it. And knowing it would be Grinder’s fault, I don’t know if I could forgive him.

“I promise you, Belle, I’m going to do everything I can to make sure that by the time tonight is over, you’ll never think about leaving us again.” Leaning in, I brush a kiss across her cheek, then step back, leaving her shaken for all the right reasons. I toss her a saucy wink before turning to rejoin Bats and Grinder back in the line.

Game On.

Tags: Chris Mor Thriller
Source: readsnovelonline.net