“What is this?” he said against my mouth, pulling back a little but not letting go of me. “Not that I don’t love it.”
“Um, it’s, uh,” I stammered, distracted by the heat in his blue eyes as he watched me and the way his cologne engulfed my senses, leaving me utterly under his influence. “This is just, like, thank you, I guess.”
“Well, I reject this as a thank-you,” he said, frowning slightly. “Jesus.”
“What? What does that mean?”
“It means I want more of this, but not attached to gratitude.” He said it like he was offended.
“I mean, it isn’tonlygratitude,” I said, feeling my cheeks warm because there was no way he couldn’t see on my face how into him I was.
“Then give me the breakdown, Duff,” he said, the scowl morphing into something else. Intrigue. Anticipation. “How much is gratitude, and how much is you wanting to kiss me?”
“You want a number?” I asked quietly, feeling flirty as I lowered my hands and rested them on his hard chest.
“I’ll take a number,” he said, his face playful yet still sexy as his fingers flexed on my lower back.
“Duffy!” my dad yelled from inside. “Where the hell did you go?”
“I—I’m out on the balcony,” I said, stepping back from Connor and wiping my mouth. He looked amused as he watched me yell back to my dad, “Are you ready to go?”
My dad came outside and cringed at my stained jersey. “That’swhat you wore?”
“I told you,” I said, ignoring the way Connor was grinning,“I wasn’t going to get dressed and that you should just come down.”
“I think she looks great,” Connor said.
“Holy shit, what the hellhappenedto you?” Ty said to me as he walked out with my dad. “Did you lose a bet with that outfit?”
“I’m going down to the car,” I said, flipping him off. “Anyone who wants a ride home has five minutes.”
“I thought Joey was giving us a ride home,” Ty said.
“I thought Joey left,” I said, remembering my dad’s call.
“I left to go get more beer,” Joey said. “But I’m still driving.”
My eyes shot to the little shit who called himself my father. “Dad?”
“I just wanted a plan B,” he said defensively, not even trying to hide what he’d been doing.
“Okay, you’re hilarious, this is great, I’m going home,” I said. “Good night, Connor. Have fun with my insane family.”
“Oh, I will,” he said with a wink.
On my way home, I couldn’t help but shake my head and laugh.
This definitely hadn’t been on my one-year-death-anniversary bingo card.
I was overwhelmed by Connor, truly confused over what was happening with him, but the guy was incredibly good at making me smile.
19
Connor
Duffy:Thank you again for what you did for my dad tonight.
I sat on the couch, mindlessly staring at the TV while trying to figure out what in the hell had happened earlier.