Chapter Seventeen
Ten minutes later, Ellie finally got her boots zipped and walked over to join Mike, who was watching the cops from the safety of the brush. They’d pushed his motorcycle farther in and sat quietly as the officers walked down the dirt road they’d been parked on, shining their flashlights around.
“You think they’ll come this way to look?” she asked quietly.
“No, but it doesn’t hurt to be safe,” Mike said.
Ellie agreed, especially since she hadn’t really want to get caught with her pants down.
Or getting swept up in another epic kiss with Mike.
Which it was, right up until they’d fallen into the fountain. Ellie had been watching and waiting for him to kiss her. Everything between them had been building for weeks, and it would have come to a head eventually.
Only she had no idea what to do now that it had happened, especially since she wanted it to happen again.
And a few times more after that.
But she was trying to change her ways. No more hooking up unless she was serious about the guy and definitely no more breaking hearts.
What if she hooked up with Mike and then broke his heart? The town would never forgive her.
Or he breaks mine.
“I think they’re leaving,” Mike said.
Ellie followed his gaze and saw that the two police officers were getting back into their car.
“Thank God,” Ellie said. “The last thing I want to do is explain to everyone who reads the paper what we were doing out here.”
“What? You’re not going to share the best kiss ever with Miss Know-It-All?”
“Who said it was my best?” she challenged.
“Ouch. Considering you were so into me we fell over into the fountain, I just assumed.”
“You think way too much of yourself. Besides, you were the one who swooned at the mere touch of my lips.”
Mike chuckled as he pointed at her, and then himself. “Pot, that would be you, meet kettle, me.”
Ellie’s lips twitched. “I’m factual about my looks, and my skill? And I’ve had a lot of practice kissing.”
“Again, you don’t pull any punches.”
“Besides, we just keep playing with fire and we both know this isn’t going to end well, right? I mean, you come from this perfect family and I am the youngest of ‘those Willis girls.’ My reputation’s so wrecked, Lindsey Lohan feels sorry for me. I am not someone a guy like you ends up with, and we should just admit it now before things get complicated.”
Mike stood there staring at her, and she shuffled her feet, waiting for him to say something, anything. To argue or agree or just change the subject.
“My parents are far from perfect,” Mike said.
That was his response?
More than a little frustrated, Ellie said, “But I bet they expect you to find someone you can marry and pop out a bunch of kids with, right? Does my home life say that I’m ready for commitment or kids? I don’t know if I’ll ever be ready for that, but I do know that getting involved with a man that I don’t have the same goals or anything thing in common with is not going to go well.”
Mike stood there for a minute or two, and she wished he’d say anything. That she was crazy or he didn’t care, but he just headed back to his bike and put on his helmet.
“Come on. I’ll drive you home.”
Mike pulled up next to Ellie’s car and took of his helmet, although he didn’t turn around right away. Even when the bike dipped as she got off it, he stared forward, thinking of what he wanted to do or say. He wasn’t used to being bold and taking what he wanted. He was the cautious type that sat back and let things happen.
But Ellie had barreled into his life and changed all that.
He had never felt so bold or strong as he had the past few weeks. He liked the changes in him and they were all because of her.
She wasn’t wrong, though, and whenever he imagined what the future looked like with Ellie, he never got further than making love to her. He couldn’t imagine living with her, and she’d already told him she wasn’t even thinking of kids. Sure, he was only thirty-four, but he wanted them. He knew that. If she wasn’t sure, he couldn’t convince her and it wasn’t fair to try.
So who says you have to dwell on the future? Why can’t you just live for now?
Because the future was going to come sooner or later, and he didn’t want to waste his time on a relationship going nowhere. That was why he had changed—to find the girl he’d be with long-term. The rest of his life, even.
It didn’t make sense to be more than friends with Ellie, no matter how strong the chemistry was between them.
Mike followed her up the porch steps. He had every intention of telling her good night and walking away, but as she reached for the doorknob, he spun her back around. Cupping her face in his hands, he dipped his head and kissed her softly, longingly, increasing the pressure until she was leaning into him, her lips open under his.
Slowly, he pulled away, running his thumb across her mouth.
“We might not be right for each other in the long run,” he said, his eyes boring into hers, “but it doesn’t mean that we can’t be good for right now.”
Without giving her a chance to answer or argue, Mike let her go. He backed down the stairs and when he reached the bottom step, he grinned.
“Besides, there’s this rumor going around we’ve got something going on the DL. Why disappoint them?”
He’d obviously rendered her speechless, something that wasn’t easy to do.
“You think about it and get back to me.”
Mike turned around, heading for his motorcycle without even bothering to look back.
Ellie sat on the couch an hour later, staring at the TV but not really paying attention to it. She was too busy thinking about Mike and his cocky suggestion.
Not that she wasn’t tempted. It seemed to be all she could think about. Kissing Mike. Being with him.
Jenny’s bedroom door opened and her roomie walked into the kitchen. Ellie knew Dalton was sleeping over, since his truck was outside.
Jenny came into the living room with a big glass of water and sat down next to Ellie.
“I had no idea you were into the mating habits of the savannah monitor,” she said.
Ellie glanced at the screen. “Oh, yeah. Lizard porn gets me hot.”
“Gross, but okay. Why are you sitting out here in the dark alone?”
“Where else would I be?” Ellie picked up the remote to change the channel.
“I don’t know. Out.”
“I went out with Mike earlier. I started a bar fight. Fun was had. Then he kissed me, we hid from the cops—”
“Back up! He kissed you? Like, kissed you kissed you? Did he use tongue?”
Ellie settled on a movie channel playing Die Hard. “Well, he didn’t kiss me with his nose.”
“Smart-ass!” Jenny shoved her with her hand, a wide grin on her face. “What was it like?”
“A kiss. Warm. Wet.” Ellie leaned her head back against the couch and closed her eyes. “Freaking hot.”
“I knew it! You lurve him!”
“I do not. I am just attracted to him.”
“Attracted mastracted. You want to have his gorgeous brown-eyed babies.”
Ellie felt a little sick at the mention of kids. She didn’t know if she could have kids, especially if she stayed in this town. She could just imagine her child coming home from school one day crying because another kid said, “My mommy said your mommy is a ho.”
Plus, with her hit-and-run on record and her own terrible example of a parent, she didn’t know if she could do it.
Jenny seemed oblivious to her trepidation and kept talking.
“So, does that mean you guys are dating or—”
“It doesn’t mean anything. It was just a kiss. Sometimes that’s all it ever is.”
Jenny frowned. “I don’t believe that. Kisses are not random.”
“Maybe not, but they also don’t mean Mike and I are going to have this epic romance.”
“Why not?” Jenny asked.
“Well, let’s see. The lofty citizens of Rock Canyon think I’m scum, while he is beloved. I am completely lost and have no idea what I want to do for a career, and he’s struggling to keep his business afoot. He wants marriage and kids and I’m not sure I’m built for domestic bliss.”
“Ellie, you have time to figure out what direction you’re headed, and you can still build a life. Being opposites can mean you balance each other out.”
Ellie turned off the TV and got up, tired of talking about it. It was giving her anxiety to think about dating Mike. He was ten years older and had his shit together. She was a nomad who had no idea what she was doing tomorrow.
“I appreciate you trying to hash this out with me, but I think I just need to sleep on it.”
“Fine, but don’t be rash and impulsive. I know how you get when you think you don’t deserve something.”
Ellie scowled. “And how is that?”
“You will make sure that whatever the good thing is, you ruin it.”
Ellie didn’t respond, just mumbled a goodnight and headed into her room.
Was Jenny right? Did she sabotage her own happiness?
She didn’t think so, but then again, how many times had she actually been happy?
Ellie couldn’t answer her own question.