Page 76 of Chasing Stardust

“So, uh . . .” I bite the inside of my cheek, fighting a grin. “Your mom calls you—”

“Do not go there.” Fire dances in his eyes, but his gaze drops to my lips.

Heat flares in my belly, and I’m struck with the sudden desire to take him up on his unspoken invitation. “Dash, pull over.”

He groans. “You can’t have to go again. We just stopped—”

“Pull. Over.” I arch a brow and drag my bottom lip through my teeth.

He cocks his head, and I can see the gears turning as his thoughts catch up to mine. His eyes widen, his lips parting a fraction before his tongue darts out to wet them. Without warning, he changes lanes and accelerates, taking the next exit a little too sharply.

After a few exhilarating turns, he pulls into an all-night diner, parks as far away from the door as possible, then quietly studies me in the glow of the streetlight before reaching over and unbuckling my seatbelt.

His gaze heats, the air crackling between us. “Come here.”

“Thought you’d never ask.” I crawl over the center console and straddle his lap.

“You are . . .” He slides his palms up my arms and over my shoulders. “So . . .” He sweeps back my hair. “Maddening.” His eyes lock on my lips. “And yet . . .” He drags his gaze back to my eyes. “I still want to kiss you every damn minute of the day.”

My insides swoop, warmth flooding my belly. “Then kiss me, Clark.”

Before I get the words all the way out, he crashes his mouth against mine, gripping my hips and sliding my center over the bulge in his jeans, drawing a groan out of both of us. Our kiss grows frantic as I wrap both arms around his neck. His tongue delves in, mapping the inside of my mouth.

My phone wails from my bag, cutting through the sound of our heavy breathing. “Nooo . . . go away.”

“It’s probably your sister,” Dash says between kisses. “Making sure I haven’t buried you in the woods somewhere.”

I suck on his bottom lip. “She’ll figure it out eventually.”

He nods, his mouth hot and insistent on mine.

The ringing starts all over again, and I let out a frustrated cry.

Dash pulls back, breathing heavy as he rests his forehead against mine. “Answer it. Tell her you’re alive.”

I reach for my phone and flinch at Damian’s image on the screen.

Dash stiffens beneath me. “What does he want?”

“The same thing he’s wanted since I ended things.” I silence my phone and toss it into my seat. “He’s having a hard time taking no for an answer.”

“Are you sure?” He lifts his hands from my body and shifts as far away as possible with me still in his lap.

Unsettled by the sudden distance between us, I search the depths of his irises. “Sure about what, Dash?”

He draws in an uneven breath.

Is he jealous?

I lift my brows. “Am I sure I made the right decision dumping him?”

His throat works as he nods.

“I’m sure I should’ve ended it a long time ago. I thought . . .” I splay my fingers across his chest, over his heart. “I used to think he was the kind of guy I was supposed to be with.”

His gaze meets mine. “And what kind of guy is that?”

“The complete opposite of you.” I chuckle, bringing our bodies closer. “You’re the guy who offers to give up his summer for a total stranger just because she needs a ride. The guy who would carry that same stranger through the streets of Memphis knowing her bladder could burst at any moment, then cut her out of her medieval torture underwear in a parking garage to rescue her from herself.”