The Reckless Collision

Chapter Fourteen

"Oh, Molly warned me about how everything has its place in your apartment," he said with a chuckle, the spoon in his mouth muffling his words slightly.

"Molly," I muttered, rolling my eyes. "What did she say exactly?"

"She didn't say anything bad, don't worry." Before I could press further, he pressed the cold metal of the spoon to my shoulder forcing a shiver in my body.

"Okay, so the cat's out of the bag," I said with a grin, brushing the spoon away.

"Yeah," he laughed, leaning back a little. "But we didn't finish talking about the trip." His tone grew more serious as his dark eyes met mine.

"I thought we did," I said lightly, scooping another bite of ice cream.

"Nice try," he said, shaking his head. "I've been thinking, and I have a deal to propose."

Great, I thought. What is it with the men in my life and their deals? "Okay, let's hear it," I said, sitting up and crossing my legs beneath me.

"When I get back from San Diego, we should go on a proper date. Somewhere outside of this apartment." His voice was careful, almost shy.

I raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong with my apartment?"

"Nothing," he said quickly, flashing a disarming smile. "I love it. But I want to take you out. A normal date."

"So, this is the deal? You want to take me on a date?" I teased, slipping the spoon between my lips, letting the sweetness of the ice cream linger.

Ray leaned back, flashing that signature grin of his. "No," he said, emphasizing the word like it was ridiculous. "I'm taking you out. And after that, you're coming on tour with me." He casually touched his bottom lip with his spoon, like he hadn't just dropped a bomb.

I froze, the spoon hovering midair before I placed it down in the container. "No fucking way," I said, narrowing my eyes. "So, in other words, if I don't go on tour, we're not dating at all?"

He looked taken aback, then scratched the back of his head, visibly flustered. "Okay, I phrased that wrong," he admitted, his voice tinged with embarrassment. "What I mean is, we'll have time together before I leave. But I think we should see how we'd be...you know, in public. As a couple."

I raised an eyebrow at him. "We're not a couple."

"Yes, we are," he said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, shoveling another spoonful of ice cream into his mouth.

"No, we're not." My tone was firm, unyielding.

He stopped chewing and pointed his spoon at me. "Look, I'm not going around town making out with random girls. That makes us a couple."

I rolled my eyes. "I'm not doing that either, but it doesn't make me your girlfriend, Ray."

He stared at me for a moment, then smirked like he was about to pull something. "Alright, another deal. After our first official date, you'll be my girlfriend."

I wanted to argue, to explain how relationships worked in the real world, but the words died in my throat. Instead, I shrugged, feigning indifference. "We'll see," I said, my lips curving into a faint smile.

The ice cream was starting to melt, so I placed the container on the nightstand and turned toward him. I placed a hand on his chest as he lay back, his shirt warm under my palm. Lately, we'd been kissing more, touching more, but we hadn't gone further. Part of me wondered why.

Climbing onto his lap, I straddled him, feeling the solid warmth of his body beneath me. He looked up at me, his brown eyes filled with something intense, something I couldn't quite place. I leaned in, pressing my lips to his. God, his lips were always so soft. Our tongues brushed, teasing and exploring, and his hand slid to my back, pulling me closer.