Fall With Me (Sugarland Creek, #3) (55)

I take one hand off the steering wheel and hold up a finger. “First, I didn’t do that. It’s just how I kiss. Secondly, need I remind you, I’m the one who’s liked you this whole time. So kissing you, even as bait, wasn’t a hardship. Third, I’ve waited four years for that moment. I can certainly wait a little bit longer.”

There’s something in the way Ellie looks at me that I’ve never seen in her eyes before.

Lust.

“I dunno why I’m drawn to you, and even if I’m supposed to hate you, I don’t understand how. It’s very confusing.”

“Trust me, I get it. I felt the same way, and I couldn’t explain it either. My brothers would ask why I kept tryin’ to get your attention and what I liked about you.”

“What’d you tell them?”

“Well, obviously, that I was attracted to you. From the moment we met, I thought you were gorgeous. But there was also a fire about you that intrigued me from the start. Most girls are eager to get my attention and just say whatever it is they think I wanna hear. They couldn’t just be themselves and that made it hard to be myself in return. They’d act how they thought I wanted them to, which gets old quickly. But you never had a reason to be anything other than exactly who you were and it was a nice change to be around. I also admired your passion, dedication, and drive to succeed. Even when I pushed your limits during training and you were ready to murder me, you’d still get on Ranger and do exactly what I suggested. You exuded confidence and that was sexy as hell. Even the way we’d bicker was hot because I knew at least you weren’t just feeding me bullshit lines.”

“So you liked that I didn’t bow down at your feet like a buckle bunny?”

I chuckle at her bluntness—another thing I like about her. “Yes. In a way, you challenged me. That wasn’t why I wanted you. But it certainly added to it. And I was delusional enough to hope one day you’d admit you felt it, too.”

“In the hospital, you said you weren’t as ready to move on as you thought. Was that about me? Moving on from liking me?”

I’m surprised she remembers that. Most people with concussions struggle with short-term memory.

Nodding, I keep my eyes on the road. “I was using you as an excuse not to get serious with anyone else, so I finally decided I needed to move on from my crush and that’s when I joined a dating app.”

“That’s where you met that one girl who wanted to move too fast.”

“Yeah, Cecilia. It wasn’t fair to string her along when I couldn’t give her a fair chance. Even after spendin’ time with her and having fun, I knew I could never fully give myself to her because there was a part of me still holding out hope for you.”

I’m left with silence and when I glance toward her, she’s staring at me, motionless.

“I probably sound like a psycho, right?” I ask, wondering if I’ve scared her.

Quietly, she shakes her head. “I can’t believe I’m sayin’ this, but I’m kinda hoping I never get my memory back. Whatever it is you did couldn’t have been bad enough if I didn’t tell anyone else.”

My chest tightens at the insinuation because it’s only a matter of time until she gets it back. Wishing that she doesn’t is setting us up for failure.

But I can’t help praying for the same thing.

“You’re not curious about what you can’t remember?” I ask. “Specifically the memory about why you didn’t like me?”

“Oh, I am. I dream about people and situations…but I dunno what’s real or not by the time I wake up. What I do know is that you are and what I feel is even if I don’t understand how or why. This pull—or whatever it is—feels different than anything I’ve experienced. Almost as if it’s always been there, but I wouldn’t act on it. Like there was a shield guardin’ it for some reason.”

My mind spirals at what that could mean or what was stopping her in the past. If someone warned her away from me or she’s connected to someone who didn’t approve of me.

“Great…you think I’m crazy now like that one chick who was moving too fast,” she blurts when I don’t say anything. “I’ll just shut—”

I jerk my truck to the side of the road, halting her words, and once we’re parked, I rip off my seat belt. Then I lean across the bucket seat and unclip hers.

“No fuckin’ crazier than me,” I say before crashing my mouth to hers, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her into me.

Her tongue matches my speed as we battle in a war of wanting, needing more of each other.

When she climbs into my lap, I shift the steering wheel up and the seat back to give us as much room as possible. Her bare legs cage my thighs and when she moans into my mouth, her hips rock against mine, and I nearly come undone.

“Ellie…fuck, you can’t do that,” I plead in between her lips tasting mine.

“Why not? I can tell you like it.” She smiles against my mouth when my cock hardens between us.

“That’s exactly why.” I squeeze her hips to stop her from continuing. “I can’t go into the grocery store with a boner.”

“You can’t with blue balls either.”

I move my lips down her jaw. “That’d be better than having a wet spot on my jeans, trust me.”