Worth It All(32)

The ride continued to move and stop until finally they were making a slow cycle into the air. Small globe lights bordered the game stands, a few stars twinkled above them. Jake straightened his right leg as much as he could and squeezed his thigh above the knee.

She watched his hand move on his leg, wishing she could make it feel better. “Does it hurt?”

“No. My muscles just get a little sore from walking.”

“And you’ve been carrying her most of the day. I’m sorry.”

Even though she’d walked right beside him for hours, she’d almost forgotten about his leg. Maybe the fact that she’d spent most of her time looking up at his face. His chest. His arms. God, he had beautiful arms.

She peered over the side at the ground below. She hadn’t thought about the height factor when he’d suggested the Ferris wheel. The arms again. “We’re really high now.”

“Yep. You okay?” She heard the teasing in his voice, but also kindness.

“Oh yeah. Sure. It’s not really a ride, just a…giant bunch of metal pieces welded together. I’m sure it’s fine with all the bolts and all.” She looked over the side again.

“What was your favorite game as a kid?”

She turned her head. If she could just stare at his face for the next ten minutes, she wouldn’t think about the ride at all. “Are you trying to distract me?”

“Maybe.”

It took great effort not to get carried away by his thoughtfulness or the sexy, boyish grin that turned her completely upside down. She’d already told him the only fair she’d ever been to was her school carnival. “I used to play the cakewalk. Every single ticket, every single year, and I never won.” It was still a little disappointing.

“Wow. You really wanted a cake.”

“I know. I really, really did. I mean, what are the odds you can play the same game fifty times and never win? I’m not sure why it mattered, maybe I just wanted to win, and the more I lost the more I couldn’t believe I never won.”

“So I guess we should keep you out of the casinos?”

“Probably.”

Without warning the wheel jerked to a stop and she slapped her hand down on his upper thigh. She couldn’t say who was more shocked, and they both stared at her fingers gripping him mere inches from his…area. “I’m sorry.” Her face burned, but their bucket swung lightly in the air and her fingers refused to loosen.

“You’re fine.” He covered her hand with his own and for a second she didn’t know which way he was going to slide it. Super-naughty zone?—no, he wouldn’t—or safe zone? He did neither, instead slipping his fingers under hers until he was holding her hand.

It was warm, slightly rough, and so much bigger than her own. Paige willed her heart to slow, which was never going to happen with their joined hands resting on his thigh. Was this dating? Was this what she’d never wanted or considered? It didn’t feel anything like what she’d thought dating was. It felt the world had just disappeared from under her feet and she was falling.

The giant wheel started again, rotating slowly, bringing them to the highest point and her fingers tightened around his. It might not have been all about the ride.

She bit her lip at the perfect moment. More than perfect. All too soon they’d be back on the ground and these quiet moments in the night sky with Jake would be over. It was magical and she was acting like a silly girl, but that was part of the perfection. It felt really good to be young and silly for just a few minutes. And she had this crazy thought of the wheel stopping exactly at the top, of Jake taking her face in his hands and kissing her senseless like he’d done before. His fingers would slide into her hair while her hands roamed over his chest and shoulders. She knew how it felt to be pressed tight against him and she wanted that again.

But the Ferris wheel didn’t stop again and he didn’t kiss her, which in some weird way made it even more perfect, more special. The only guys she’d ever known would have tried to get as much as they could, but Jake wasn’t like any other man and he wouldn’t do what another man might do. She liked that. There were so many things to like about Jake McKinney. Too many.

When they got off, he took her hand again as they made their way to the parking lot. Probably because it was crowded and he didn’t want her to get left behind. But something inside her sparked, maybe a tiny, forgotten piece of some faraway girl who used to believe in fairy tales. Because Jake had a way of making her want things she didn’t even believe in.





Chapter 10


They talked easily on the way home about everything and nothing. Things like the correct way to eat a Kit Kat—he had a brother who bit across the top instead of breaking the sticks, shudder—and what was the best super power. Jake chose invisibility, she chose flying, but they both agreed those were the best two.