Double fisting my Coke and my milkshake, I grinned at Cain, loving that he remembered my favorite things from the menu of my favorite fast-food joint.
“Thanks,” I told him with sincerity and took a huge gulp of my slightly melted milkshake, sucking it down until I gave myself a brain freeze.
“Sober up, buttercup. I’m taking you somewhere.”
“Oooh, where are we going?”
“One of my favorite places to go after a night of drinking.”
Squinting my eyes and pursing my lips, I questioned, “But you haven't been drinking, have you?”
He smiled widely again, glancing at me before refocusing on the road. “No, but you have.”
The drive was short, but toward the end, the road became windy and rocky, which was not great for my stomach full of alcohol, fries, and sugary beverages. By the time we parked, I felt a little queasy and needed air.
Throwing open the passenger door, I hopped out of the truck and did a three-sixty, looking at our surroundings.
“What is this place?” I asked, venturing away from the truck as I took in the dark meadow nestled between the ridges of the small mountain we’d driven up. Nearing the edge, my eyes immediately caught on the gorgeous, twinkling cityscape that was laid out before me.
Cain came up behind me, standing so close our bodies practically touched, though he kept the smallest of gaps between us. I was acutely aware of it, and for a moment, had a hard time focusing on anything else.
“Straight ahead,” he told me, his arm reaching forward and pointing to where he spoke of. It brushed against mine, sending a current of electricity through me. “That’s Northwood. And that,” he moved his arm off to the right, “that’s Bridge Point.”
Feeling bold, I took a slight step backward, closing that tiny space between us. Turning my head to the left, I peered out at the darkness that stretched far and at the faint twinkling of the city that was far off into the distance. “What’s over there?” I asked, my voice breathy as the desire I tried to push away filtered through.
His lips brushed against my ear, causing my lips to part from how absolutely erotic having him so close felt. I shouldn’t have felt that way, not when his brother was technically my boyfriend. And as the thought of Brent trickled into my mind, everything suddenly felt so forbidden.
I took a step forward, allowing for more space than had originally been between us, and covered my chest with my arms.
My sudden change in demeanor must have pulled Cain from his clouded judgment too, because I heard him swallow thickly before he said, “Over there is Ridgewood.”
Once my question was answered, the crunch of weeds beneath his footsteps alerted me he was walking back to the truck.
Following, I danced through the tall grasses, feeling light on my feet. When I stopped at the back of the truck, Cain dropped the tailgate, and I spared no time before hopping into the bed. The truck’s bed liner was cold and rough against my palms as I used them to push myself into a standing position and kicked off my heels. My toes flexed beneath me, happy to be free from the confines of the too-tight shoes.
Twisting around to look at Cain, he stood at the tailgate with his arms crossed, watching me with a blank expression, though he was unsuccessful in hiding the amusement from his eyes as they floated up my body.
“Aw, c’mon Cainy-boo, don’t look so drab,” I mused, lifting onto my toes as I danced around the bed of his truck. The snack earlier had sobered me up a little, but I could still feel my body sway as I stumbled on the small ridges on the bed liner.
Reaching up to fist his disheveled hair that was growing far too long, Cain turned his body, giving me his back as he looked into the dark mountainside. An exasperated huff left him, and even through the dark, I could see the way his shoulders quaked as he expelled the air.
With his back to me, I twirled to the tailgate and balanced on the wide grooves, my feet teetering. Sober me would have had no problem walking across the small space, but with tequila pooling through my bloodstream, my head felt fuzzy and my stability swayed. A small squeak left me as my ankle twisted slightly, and I shot my arms out on either side to keep myself upright.
Cain turned back toward me and scrubbed his hand down his face. “Rosie, please be careful.”
“Ugh, Rosie. Such a sweet name. I’m not a delicate little flower, Cain. I can handle standing on my own two feet.” And I meant that in more ways than one.
But even as the words left my mouth, gravity did me dirty as I swayed and overcorrected, falling—almost in slow motion—off the tailgate.
Somehow Cain managed to catch me, his strong arms circling my middle, but my momentum was too much to stop and we both toppled onto the ground. Cain broke my fall, landing on his back with me on top of him.
With my body flattened against him, my eyes widened as I looked down at him with only a mere inch separating our lips. “Well, shit. That was my bad. Are you okay?” I asked, trying not to burst into a fit of laughter.
Cain reached up and tucked a piece of hair that’d fallen into my face behind my ear. “Never better, Rose.”
My gaze caught on Cain’s lips and I suddenly wanted nothing more than to slam mine against his and give into the desperation I’d felt for him for what seemed like so long.
But I couldn’t. I wasn’t with Cain. I was with Brent. His brother.
