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  "We're not..." She glances at the screen, then back at me. "Doing things. I mean, just because we're sitting here doesn't mean we're..."

  She can't even say it, I think because she's not sure what I was implying. Did she think I meant sex? I wouldn't have sex in a movie theater, not even an empty one. I'm open to taking risks, but I'm not going to risk getting arrested.

  "Hey." I grab her hand and pull on her until she sits down. "I was just kidding. We're just watching the movie."

  "Oh." She sounds disappointed. So she wanted to make out in the theater? I'm so confused.

  Once she's situated, her purse tucked on the side, I turn to her and say, "You need to tell me what you want."

  "What are you talking about?"

  "I told you to be direct. So if you're okay with me kissing you, then tell me."

  She looks at me. "Do you want to kiss me?"

  "So fucking bad I can't stand it."

  Her lips turn up. "Then do it."

  Some guy coughs in the front row. A deep phlegmy cough that's disgusting and doesn't stop.

  I face forward. "Not here."

  "Why not?" She sounds disappointed.

  "It's not the right place. I want you to remember it, and I don't want the memory to include some guy hacking up a lung."

  He coughs again, even worse than before, and she starts laughing, which makes me laugh.

  "Get over here." I shove the armrest up and wait until she moves next to me, then lower my arm over her, pulling her closer. "This'll have to do until the movie ends."

  "And then what happens?"

  "You'll have to wait and see."

  Honestly, I don't have an answer to what comes next. I don't know what she wants, or how far she'll let me take things. I was surprised when she almost let me kiss her last night, so I don't know what to expect tonight. She alternates between hot and cold, although by 'cold' I don't mean she pushes me away. It's more like a hesitation, like she's not sure she should act on what she wants. Like she's holding herself back.

  The movie is stupid, to the point of being funny. I think it's supposed to be a serious thriller, but Kira and I are both laughing. The first time the shark ate someone, Kira almost jumped out of her chair but I kept hold of her and she moved closer to me. When she looked up at me, I almost kissed her but stopped myself. The hacking cough guy is still going at it, which really ruins the mood.

  "Let's get out of here," I whisper in her ear.

  "But the movie isn't over," she whispers back.

  "I've seen enough. And if we stay in here much longer, I'm afraid we're gonna catch whatever the hell that guy's got."

  He coughs again.

  She shudders. "You're right. Let's go."

  We make our way out of the theater and I take her hand as we exit to the parking lot.

  "So what'd you think?" I ask.

  "That was one of the worst movies ever made."

  "I know. I can't believe you picked it."

  She huffs. "Hey! I didn't pick it."

  "That's the one you pointed to."

  "Yeah, but I didn't know what I was picking."

  We're at my truck and I open the door for her. As she climbs in, I catch a glimpse of her panties under her short skirt. Black lace panties. Shit. Now I'll be thinking about that the rest of the night.

  I get in on the other side. "Want to get something to eat?"

  "Don't you have to get home? It's almost ten. You have to get up early for work."

  "You mentioned this last night too." I smile at her. "You're really concerned about what time I go to bed."

  "I just don't want to keep you up."

  "You're not keeping me up. I usually don't go to bed until midnight, or later if I'm out with the band. So where do you want to go?"

  I'm driving down a street that has restaurants and coffee shops along both sides.

  "Do you eat ice cream?" she asks.

  "Yeah." I look at her funny. "Why wouldn't I? Doesn't everyone eat ice cream?"

  "You're really into healthy eating so I wasn't sure."

  "I watch my diet, but I still eat what I want. Ice cream, burgers, pizza. I eat all that stuff, just not every day."

  "Then can we get ice cream?"

  "Yeah, but we're getting the best. There's a place by my house that you have to try. It has the best ice cream in the city."

  "Well, you did promise to show me all the best places."

  "That's right. I better get started on that. It's a big city. We have a lot of places to go. This could take all year."

  She laughs. "A whole year? Really? I doubt it'll take that long."

  "It might. We'll just have to see."

  My comment implies we'll still be friends in a year, or more than friends. I don't know why I said that. It's too soon. I still need to get to know her. But what I know of her so far, I like. And even if she didn't want to date me, I'd like us to be friends. There's just something about her. Something that drew me to her from the moment I saw her at the bar.

  "This is it," I say, pulling in front of the small red building. It's shaped like a barn and has a white cow painted on the side. "We used to come here a lot when I was a kid. And then we'd go over to that park." I point to the small park that has some swings and picnic tables.

  "Let's eat our ice cream over there."

  We each get a cone, then walk over to the park and sit at one of the tables. Nobody's around, and it's quiet except for the sound of crickets chirping.

  "So you live close to here?" she asks.

  "About a block that way." I point behind her.

  "There's only houses down there. You have a house?"

  "I live with my dad."

  "You do? I guess I don't remember you saying that."

  "I don't think I mentioned it. I've been saving up to get my own place but I'm never home so I'm not really in a hurry to move out."

  "So it's just you and your dad living there?"

  "Yeah." I finish my ice cream, then wad up my napkin and toss it in the trash.

  "Does he have rules for you living there? Because when I lived at home, my parents had like a million rules. I felt like I was still in high school."

  "My dad's only rule is no girls, which is the main reason I need to move."

  "Meaning a girl can't even come over?"

  "She can come over but she can't spend the night." I open the bottle of water I bought and offer it to her. She didn't want one but the way she's eyeing my water, I know she wants some.

  "Thanks." She takes a swig of it, then gives it back to me. "You're right about this ice cream. It's really good."

  "It's more than good. It's the best in Chicago."

  She finishes her cone and gets up to toss her napkin out. "So what's next on my tour of the best places in Chicago?"

  "I'm not sure." I offer her my water. "Depends on when you're going out with me again."

  She takes a sip of water. "Maybe tomorrow?"

  I smile at the fact that she wants to go out again that soon. "Tomorrow night I have to practice with the band. You could come with me if you want."

  The guys would kill me for bringing a girl to practice, but I don't really give a shit. They need to get over it.

  "That's okay. I should probably spend tomorrow night going over my assignments for class. I already have a reading assignment for English. But I'll see you in the morning, right? At the gym?"

  "Actually I have to be at work at seven. I'll be at the gym at six but I'm guessing you don't want to be there that early."

  "I could be there at six, but won't you be doing your own workout?"

  "Yeah, but I could come check on you between sets."

  "That'll work." She takes a sip of water. "I guess we should go. You ready?"

  "Not yet." I take the water from her and finish the bottle and toss it out. Then I take her hand and lead her over to the edge of the park, which is lined with trees.

  "Where are we going?" she asks.

  "We're continuing t
he tour." I motion to the giant maple tree that's in front of us. "This is the best tree in Chicago."

  She laughs. "The best tree? And why is it the best tree?"

  "Just look at it." It's dark out, but the street lights give off enough of a glow that we can see. "It's big and full. Has strong branches. A symmetrical shape. I used to climb this tree when I was a kid."

  "Maybe that's what makes it the best tree. Your memories of it."

  "Maybe." I turn her around, my arms wrapping around her waist.

  She looks up at me and I see her shiver. It's a warm night but there's a slight breeze.

  "Are you cold?" I ask, running my hand along her arm.

  "No," she says in almost a whisper, her eyes not leaving mine.

  I lift my hand to the side of her face, holding it there. "You know what you do when you're standing under the best tree in the city?"

  "What?" she asks in a breathy voice.

  I lean down and press my lips to hers, then back away just enough to let her tell me no. That she doesn't want this. That she only wants to be friends. But instead, she grabs hold of my shirt and pulls me closer. Thank God that's her answer because I don't think I could've held back from kissing her again.

  I lower my mouth over hers and a soft breath escapes her lips as she parts them for me. I run my tongue along hers and feel her grip my shirt even tighter. I take the kiss deeper, my tongue dragging its way through her mouth. Her body sinks into mine and I keep hold of her.

  A car races down on the street, music blaring from the speakers.

  "Let's go in my truck," I say softly over her lips.

  She nods, and releases my shirt, taking a step back. I take her hand and we walk back to my truck. When we get inside, she's looking at me from across the seat.

  I shove my seat back and hold my hand out to her. "Come here."

  She climbs over the middle area and I set her sideways on my lap, kissing her before she's even fully sat down. With our mouths still joined, she turns her body toward mine and wraps her arms around my neck. Our kisses get faster, frantic, our lips parting just long enough to take a breath. I grasp the back of her head and slow us down, my tongue sliding along her lower lip, then gently kissing it. Her body relaxes as I kiss her again, slowly, with just our lips.

  We fall into a rhythm, finding just the right pace, not too fast, not too slow. Like we somehow know what the other person wants without even saying it. Her body starts moving to the rhythm of our kiss and she grinds her ass into my crotch. Fuck. I'm already hard as steel and now she's rubbing her ass against it. I don't know how far to take this. I don't want our first time to be in my truck, but shit, it's tempting.

  I move my hand to the front of her shirt and undo the first few buttons, then slip my hand underneath it and cup her breast. She breaks from the kiss and tips her head back, her ass grinding into me again. I kiss her neck as I gently squeeze her breast. Her breasts are full and round and big for someone her size. Definitely more than a handful. She has a tank top on and I slide my hand up to the strap and tug it down. It's one of those tanks with the built-in bra so when I pull it down, her breast is right there, soft and full and beautiful. I rub my thumb over her nipple and hear her let out a breath as her head falls back again. She lifts up and arches back, putting her breast on display, and just as I'm about to put my mouth on her, someone knocks on the window.

  "Shit," I mutter.

  Kira jumps off me and back to her seat, putting her shirt back in place.

  I start the truck and roll down the window. Carl, the owner of the ice cream place, is standing there. He's in his seventies with thick white hair that he keeps in a buzz cut. He used to be in the military.

  "Hey, Carl."

  He smiles. "Austin. I didn't know it was you." He glances at Kira. "Don't mean to interrupt, but we're closed for the night and you know how I feel about kids making out in my parking lot."

  My brother, Jake, got caught making out here with a girl here when he was 17. Carl called my dad and then we all got a lecture about it. That didn't even cross my mind tonight. I was too into Kira and what we were doing before we got interrupted.

  "Sorry about that," I tell him. "We'll get out of here."

  "Maybe go continue this at your house. You still live at home, right?"

  "Yeah, but my dad has rules about girls."

  He laughs. "That sounds like Mitch. Tell him I said hello." He steps back. "Have a good night."

  He leaves and I roll my window up and back out of the parking space. I like Carl, but I'm really annoyed that he did that. His brief interruption just destroyed any chance of continuing what I was doing with Kira, at least for tonight. I just hope she lets us continue this some other night. Because now that I've had a taste of what's it like to be with her that way, I want more.

  Chapter Ten

  Kira

  "Sorry about that," Austin says as he pulls out of the parking lot.

  "Do you know that guy?" I adjust my tank top because the built-in bra isn't fitting right. I'd rather just rip the damn thing off and have Austin continue what he was doing. I wasn't ready to be done, but then that old guy had to come knocking on the window, acting like we were a couple of high school kids.

  "Carl? Yeah. He's the owner."

  I reach up and turn on the overhead light so I can figure out why my tank isn't fitting right.

  "Damn," I say when I see the spot on my shirt.

  "What's wrong?" Austin glances over at me.

  "I spilled ice cream on my shirt. It's gonna stain if I don't wash it out."

  "We'll stop at my house. It's just up the street." A few moments later, he pulls into the driveway of a large two-story house.

  "What about your dad?" I turn the overhead light off.

  "As long as we're not in my bedroom, he won't care. He may not even be home. He said he might have to work late."

  We go inside and I smile when I see his house. It looks just like my parents' house. Not the layout, but the furnishings are similar. Overstuffed couches and chairs and lots of family photos on the walls and on the tables. There's some socks on the floor and a sweatshirt hanging off the back of the couch. The house feels comfortable, lived in.

  "Ignore the mess," Austin says, kicking the socks out of our way. "My dad and I aren't great at picking up after ourselves."

  "It's okay. Looks just like my house back in Michigan. My brothers are always leaving their stuff everywhere."

  "Dad?" he calls out. No one answers. "He must be working late." He walks past me. "Kitchen's right through here."

  I follow him into a big eat-in kitchen with a table off to the side. It's one of those older homes that has separate rooms instead of the open floor plan that newer houses tend to have.

  "Do you need soap or just water?" he asks, standing by the sink.

  "I'll start with water." I go to unbutton my shirt but he stops me.

  "Let me do it," he says, smiling, as he undoes the next button. He leans down and kisses me and my hands go behind his neck, pulling him closer.

  I love the way Austin kisses. It's perfect. A mix of fast and slow, tongue and then just lips. He keeps me guessing and I love it. And I love how he feels. His hands, and where he puts them, like he knows exactly what I want and when I want it. I've never had a guy read me like that.

  He's done with the buttons and I slip the shirt off and toss it in the sink. His hands grip my waist as his mouth moves over mine.

  "I fucking love kissing you," he says in a low sexy growl.

  "You know how to kiss."

  I feel him smile against my lips. "So you like it?"

  "God, yes." I pull him against me. "Don't stop."

  "Shit," he mutters. "You're gonna get me in trouble."

  "Because of your dad?"

  "No." He kisses me, but doesn't explain what he meant. And before I can ask, he lifts me up onto the counter.

  My short skirt rides up, and from where he's standing, I know he can see under it. His eyes go
there just briefly, then look up at me in a heated stare that makes my heart thump faster. He lowers his mouth to mine and kisses me, one hand going behind my head, the other landing on my bare leg at the edge of my skirt. His thumb slides under it, skimming up my inner thigh, pausing briefly at the edge of my panties.

  My breath catches and I tense up, waiting for him to touch me there. And then he does, his fingers stroking me, teasing me, making my body ache with need. I scoot forward a little, encouraging him to keep going, but then we hear the front door open.

  "Shit," he says, quickly picking me up off the counter and setting me on the floor. "My dad's home."

  I shove my skirt back in place and grab my shirt from the sink, hurrying to put it on. My back is to Austin but I hear him talking.

  "What are you two doing here?" he asks. So it's not his dad. It's someone else. I'm afraid to turn around. I'm sure my face is bright red. What if whoever's behind me saw me with Austin?

  "The smoke alarms keep going off at our apartment building," a guy says. "It may not be fixed for a few hours so we came over here for the night."

  "There was no way we could sleep with that noise," a girl says.

  "You gonna introduce us?" I hear the guy ask.

  "Yeah," Austin says. "Kira." He nudges me.

  God, this is embarrassing. My shirt is wrinkled and has wet streaks all over it from being in the sink. And I'm sure my hair's a mess from Austin putting his hands all over it.

  I slowly turn around, partially hidden behind Austin. "Hi." I wave to the guy and girl. The guy looks like Austin. Tall and muscular with dark hair, but unlike Austin, this guy's covered in tattoos. They run down his neck and along both arms. "I'm Kira."

  "Hey." The guy smiles at me. "I'm Bryce, Austin's brother. And this is my girlfriend, Jen." He puts his arm around her. She's about my height, but thinner than me with long, dark blond hair.

  "Hi." She smiles too, and they both stare at me and then Austin.

  "I met Kira the other night at the bar," Austin says. "She came to hear the band."

  Bryce nods. "The mystery girl."

  I look up at Austin. "Mystery girl?"

  Bryce explains. "He told us he met some girl but that she took off before he could get her number." He grins at Austin. "You should've seen how upset he was."