Page 40 of Forever Only Once

I fucking loved it.

“Again?” I asked, then shook my head when her gaze moved to my lips. My cock twitched, but I refrained from moving any more than I had. We were in public after all, standing under a bright lamp where anyone could see.

Possibly the safest place to park…though I didn’t know why I’d thought that just then.

“Go out with me again.”

“When?” she asked, then smiled. “I mean…sure. Yes. I’d like to.”

“And not only for your pact?” I asked, unsure why I’d said that.

She smiled widely. “No, though the girls will be happy to hear that. Maybe it means it’s Paris’s turn.”

I smiled at that. “That sounds like a plan.” I helped her into her car and brushed my fingers along her collarbone, loving the way she pinked at the contact. “Text me when you get home?”

She frowned.

“I just want to know that you’re safe.”

“I…I can do that.” She paused again. “I…I like that you care.”

That was an odd thing to say, but hell, she should probably get used to my overprotectiveness. “Good. Because I should warn you, I’m a bear when it comes to making sure those I care about are safe.”

“And do you care about me, Cross Brady?” she asked, something odd in her tone.

I leaned forward, my gaze on hers. “Yes, Hazel. I do. And I suppose that’s something new both of us will have to learn how to navigate.”

She smiled again, and I wondered what that meant, but I didn’t ask. Instead, I closed her door, then watched her drive away, leaving me standing there with leftover Korean food, a hard-on, and confusion written over every inch of my face...and my heart.