Chapter 4

We spend the next hour hopping from one ride to the next, each of us stealing unnecessary touches from one another. I can’t seem to keep my hands off her, and she obviously feels the same with the way she keeps clutching onto me with every ride. We take a break so I can win her a stuffed animal, and then we grab some food.

We find a quiet place to sit away from the crowd and eat our hot dogs and funnel cake. The sight of her with a little bit of powdered sugar on her lips has everything in my body wanting to lean forward to press my mouth to hers and draw my tongue along the sweet line of her lips.

“Do I have something on my face?” she asks when she notices me staring. Without waiting for an answer, she slowly licks her lips, removing all traces of the white powder. I bite back a groan and force my eyes away.

“So where to next?” I ask, hoping that whatever ride is next will help take my mind off Mandy and how much I want to fuck her.

“Definitely the Ferris wheel,” she says, and I can hear the grin in her voice.

I stand and then take her hand to help her up. She doesn’t let go of me once she’s standing, and we walk to the enormous Ferris wheel that looms ahead of us holding hands. While we wait in line, my thumb runs across the back of her hand. I know I shouldn’t, but I can’t bring myself to stop.

When it’s our turn to take our seat, I see Mandy slip the operator some money and whisper something to him that I can’t hear. The man gives her a lecherous smile that makes me want to throttle him, but he shakes his head yes and takes the money. She climbs in next to me and sits the stuffed animal on her other side so we’re squished tightly together.

“What was that about?” I ask when our seat starts to move up the wheel so more people can get on below us.

“You’ll see,” she says with a wicked grin.

When we’re almost to the top, she turns as much as she’s able to and looks up at me.

“Don’t laugh, but it’s always been a huge fantasy of mine to get my first kiss at the top of the Ferris wheel. I’ve dreamed about it since I was a kid. I know it’s corny,” she says, her face heating up in a sexy blush, “but it’s something I’ve always wanted.”

I look at her, and I’m sure the confusion is plain on my face. Why is she telling me how she wanted her first kiss? I have no idea who her first kiss was with or where it took place, and it makes me oddly angry to think about it. I know it’s unfair, that she has a right to happiness with someone else. I just don’t like thinking about it.

“I’m not sure I understand,” I say.

Her face turns an even deeper shade of red as she looks everywhere but at me. “I slipped that guy some money and asked if he could give us some extra time at the top.”

It suddenly becomes very obvious what she wants.

“Oh,” I say because I always was a smooth talker. “So you want me to kiss you at the top of the Ferris wheel to make up for the first kiss you had to have somewhere else?”

She shakes her sweet little head no and finally meets my eyes. “I want you to give me my first kiss at the top of the Ferris wheel.” Holy shit.

I’m speechless and very aware of how close we are to the top now. “I’m not sure that’s such a great idea.”

The look of hurt and sadness on her face breaks my heart.

“I understand,” she says, looking away. “I thought maybe you wouldn’t want to.”

“Whoa, wait a minute. That’s not what I said, Mandy. I just meant maybe having your dad’s best friend give you your first kiss isn’t the greatest idea ever. I mean, I’m old enough to be your dad.”

“But I like that,” she says, surprising the hell out of me. “I’ve always loved you, Brian, and I want you to be my first kiss. Can’t you just give me this one thing so I can have the memory of it forever?”

She’s looking at me with those sweet, sexy green eyes, and she’s biting her bottom lip out of shyness, and after everything she just said, how can I possibly say no? Because the truth is that I want this just as much as she does. When we reach the very top and the Ferris wheel jerks to a stop, our car swings in the wind with the noise and lights of the carnival below us. I lean closer and cup her face in my hands. The hungry look in her eyes is all the confirmation I need to press my lips to hers.

She lets out a soft moan as I kiss her gently, not quite sure how far she wants to take this. Her mouth opens, begging for more. I trace a line along her bottom lip with my tongue before sliding it between her lips. She kisses me back with a hunger that matches my own. Her tongue slides along mine, and I groan at how fucking good she tastes. She’s all sweetness from the powdered sugar mixed with the intoxicating taste that’s just her. I wonder if the rest of her is as sweet as this.

Her hand slides along my thigh, and some part of me registers that the

Ferris wheel is moving again, but I can’t stop kissing her. I don’t know that I’ll ever be able to. When we’re almost to the bottom, she pulls away with a happy sigh and rests her forehead against mine.

“Wow,” she says with a laugh. “I’m really glad I waited for you. That was one hell of a first kiss.”

I trace a line down her cheek. “I’m glad you enjoyed it,” I say with a smile. “Thanks for letting me be your first kiss.”

She pulls back so she can look at me. Her green eyes are fierce and the way she’s looking at me is sexy as hell. “I want you to be my first everything.”

Before I can answer, we’re at the bottom and our car is being opened. We leave as another couple steps up to take our empty seat. I follow Mandy down the ramp and grab onto the hand she offers me.

I smile down at her. “Where to now?”

She gives me a sexy, mischievous grin. “I’m ready to go back to your truck.”