“Oh, shit. We’re really up here,” Jake said, his gaze sweeping around us. “This is . . . wow.” He stretched his arm and settled his palm on my handrail, his thumb grazing the back of my hand, and the sensation thrummed with more force than the ride’s mechanics.
Feeling suspended, a thousand feet in the air, I couldn’t hold in a squeal or a nervous laugh as we tipped forward again.
Jake’s gaze was intent from his position two feet away, but he wasn’t taking in the view; he was looking at me. Holy hell.
When we tilted back to normal, two or three minutes later, he reached for my hand as we stepped back away from the glass. My head spun from the alcohol and the shift in perspective.
“We should commemorate,” he said, pulling his phone from his pocket. I tucked my face in by his chest as he pulled me to him and snapped a selfie. “Another thing off your list, right?” He lingered next to my ear after that, the heat from his mouth and his warm breath tickling me, sending a zing through my body.
I can do this. He’s nice; he’s attractive and into me. I can hook up with him.
“Two things,” I responded, letting my head loll just a little closer to his ear, but stumbling as I lost my balance. “Do something new and flirt.”
“With danger?”
Something about knowing he was looking at me, taking in my skin and curves, lit me up inside. I tried to pull myself back into the moment, motioning to his phone. “No, silly. With you.” I punched him on the arm, letting my hand linger on his biceps to take in its size and to steady myself. “This is me flirting. You might not have known because I’m not good at it.”
His hands dropped to my waist. “I don’t think you’re giving yourself enough credit. And, what a coincidence,” he said, taking a small step closer. “This is me flirting, too.”
Feeling bold, I grazed my fingers up his neck.
He gave a quick inhale when I reached his hairline. It was exciting to know my touch affected him.
“Let’s get out of here,” I said.
His eyebrows raised in surprise, but he responded quickly with an eager nod. “Okay.”
I walked with heavy, intentional steps as we weaved through the crowd toward the high-speed elevator that would take us to street level. Drunk. I am drunk. I was being irresponsible and kind of reckless and I felt uncharacteristically comfortable. I loved it.
“Will you send me that photo?”
“Of course,” he said, navigating through the app with his thumb. “Is that a sneaky way to get my phone number?” Jake handed me the phone with the contact screen open for me to enter my number.
“Seems you’re getting mine, too.”
I was breaking my own rules, but what could a phone number hurt?
“You,” he laughed, the sound light and playful near my ear, “are dangerous.”
“Me?” I feigned incredulity, pressing closer to him when the car filled with a few more people as the attraction neared closing time. “No one in my life has ever called me dangerous.”
“You got me in a glass box a thousand feet in the air.” His smile broadened, and he flattened both hands against his chest for effect. “I don’t do heights.” His consonants were a little mushy from the alcohol as we spilled from the elevator into the lobby and walked toward the street.
“Why agree to come up here?”
“The plan was to stay a few feet away from the glass.”
“I feel bad. I didn’t know.”
He took my hand as we pushed through the doors. “It was only mildly terrifying.”
“You should have said something.” The cool breeze washed over me as we stepped out onto the street. “We could have done something else.”
“And tell the sexy-as-sin woman I’m trying to impress I’m scared of heights? No way.”
“You’re trying to impress me?”
He surprised me by turning to wrap both his arms around my waist, bringing us together. “Is it working?”
“Yes.” I marveled again that him touching me, pulling me, felt good. The familiar tension wasn’t there. It might have been the alcohol, but something told me that wasn’t everything. Somewhere between wanting the list to be the key and this guy’s smile, I was relaxed.
He tipped his chin down, and his voice softened. “Is there anything on that list about being kissed on a street corner?”
Maybe Felicia was right about this being easy.
“There is now.”