God.

That was nice.

“You’re very sweet,” I blurted as the commercials rolled on the screen.

“No, I’m not,” he returned. “I’m selfish and goal-oriented. This shit is multitasking. Got you close, smell your perfume, feel your warmth, and later you’ll be in a good mood. All that works for me.”

To that, being an idiot, I couldn’t stop it

I kept blurting.

“You might want to try to stop being so sexy and hot and cool or you’ll give me a heart attack and then your plans for later will be completely derailed.”

I heard the smile in his voice even over the loud commercials. “Then I better shut up.”

“That would be wise.”

His arm drew me nearer and I felt the light shakes of his body, denoting his silent laughter.

I liked the feel and memorized it as I turned my attention to the screen.

I’d been to movies with my other boyfriends and none of them held me tucked tight throughout one movie, much less two.

To be fair, the Deluxe didn’t have those killer seats back then so it would be uncomfortable if they tried.

Still, they didn’t try.

If they did, I might have attempted to be less uninteresting.

Because it was amazing.

Or maybe it was just Raiden who was amazing.

Halfway through Sunset Boulevard, when he set aside the popcorn, I put my head to his shoulder. I cuddled closer, he let me and decided it was Raiden.

All Raiden.

Amazing.

Chapter Nine

Not That Kind of Girl

After two movies with a fifteen-minute intermission it was late when Raiden, his arm around my shoulders holding me close, my arm around his waist doing the same, walked us four blocks down to the car park at the edge of town.

When he’d come to my house to pick me up I’d suggested we take my car since he’d said he wanted to drive it.

He took me up on this offer, and although no one but me had been in the driver’s seat of my girl, I liked sitting beside him in my girl.

I liked more the way he handled my car. The ride was smooth; the car maneuvered unbelievably, but I wasn’t exactly a daredevil. I’d never explored the limits of her functionality.

Raiden was not so hesitant.

He drove her faster than I’d ever risk, testing her handling on the winding roads that led from my place to Willow.

This normally would frighten me, but he operated the car with a natural confidence, like he drove her every day, or like he drove NASCAR for a living. So I wasn’t frightened.

I was exhilarated.

And thus looking forward to the ride home.

We approached her, he beeped the locks and I saw the kick butt “Z” at the side illuminate in a flash when he did.

I loved my girl.

And, Bodhi and Heather notwithstanding, I was back to glad I made my decision months ago to broaden the horizons of my life.

Case in point: Raiden Miller walking me to my car at midnight on a Saturday night.

He moved me to the passenger side, but I turned my back to the car, blocking the door and looked up at him.

“You said at intermission that you thought Sunset Boulevard kicked ass. How did you feel about Chinatown?”

“You were right, that Dunaway-Huston gig was freaky, but it was a f**king good movie,” he answered.

He liked noir. For some reason, this thrilled me.

Yes, he just kept getting better and better.

Therefore, I blurted, “In case I forget, I’ll say it now to be sure you know. I had an amazing night, Raiden Miller.”

At my words, one of his hands moved to span my hip, the other one cupped my jaw. He shifted close and dipped his face to mine.

“Good to know, Hanna Boudreaux,” he rumbled through smiling lips.

I smiled back then shared, “I’m glad I didn’t eavesdrop and ruin the night by freaking out and being stupid.”

“I’m glad I didn’t leave a pretty woman at a table and make a poorly timed phone call,” he returned.

My smile got bigger. “I’m also glad nothing world rocking happened, like learning my best friend since forever, KC, was the evil mastermind behind a dire plot to take over the world, Homeland Security raided her house and hauled me in as a possible accomplice due to our copious phone conversations and pedicure appointments.”

His body was shaking as were his words when he replied, “Reason to rejoice.”

I was laughing softly when I finished, “So thank you.”

“You’re welcome, baby.”

Baby.

I loved that.

So much I rolled up to my toes and kissed him.

Again, I was going for a quick peck. I was looking forward to making out with him on my porch (or wherever) when he took me home, but just then I was going to do what he did.

A brush of lips against lips.

Raiden, as I was learning anytime this happened, had other ideas.

Except this time, without reason, when Raiden’s arms locked around me, crushing me to him and his tongue slid into my mouth, the world exploded.

The other kisses were phenomenal.

Even though this one was not executed in the privacy of my farmhouse at the end of a single track lane that was surrounded only by trees, but instead in a public parking lot in our hometown after a movie just let out, the kiss detonated.

Maybe it was because I wasn’t freaking out, heartbroken and being stupid.

Maybe it was because we hadn’t just finished exchanging heated words or heartfelt confessions.

Maybe it was because my dream actually was coming true, bigger and better than I expected. I was in Raiden’s arms and he wanted me there.

Maybe it was just because it was the end of a really good date.

Whatever it was, it was like nothing I’d ever experienced. Nothing I even knew existed.

And something I wanted never to end.

It was huge. Consuming. The world melted away and there was just Raiden, his arms, his big, hard body, his mouth and his tongue.

I couldn’t get enough. I couldn’t give enough.

And Raiden felt exactly the same.

I knew this when he arched me into the car, pressing close, hips, chest, lips.

I knew it more when his hands slid down over my bottom and he jerked me up.

I had my hands in his hair and I held on even as my legs automatically circled his hips. He shifted down the car, planted my booty on the hood and bent into me so my back was to the Z, my legs circling his hips, his groin pressed deep to me and his tongue ravaging my mouth.

I was so lost in the kiss, in Raiden, I would have been happy for it to go on forever and more, even in the parking lot. No kidding, I would have been happy for it to escalate to bigger and better things.