If We Ever Meet Again - Ana Huang Page 0,41
go.” She grabbed her son’s hand and hurried him along, but not before glaring at Blake. If looks could kill, his corpse would be eating dirt.
“Oops.” Farrah giggled against his mouth. “I think we offended her sensibilities.”
“Did you see the way she looked at me? You’d think I was having an orgy on the riverfront instead of kissing my girlfriend.”
The word slipped out without thinking.
Farrah’s eyebrows rose. “Girlfriend?”
Fuck.
It had been two weeks since their first kiss, and they’d yet to discuss their relationship status. Exclusivity wasn’t official but implied.
Blake licked his lips. “Sorry, I didn’t mean girlfriend. I meant girl. Friend.”
“I see.”
“No pressure.”
“Ok.”
He had a horrible feeling he was digging himself into a deeper hole with each word coming out of his mouth.
“So, how about that kiss?” Blake flashed his dimples in an attempt to warm Farrah’s expression. It didn’t work. “Pretty great, huh?”
“Mmmhmm.”
Ah, dammit. It was time to stop beating around the bush. “Look. It’s not that I don’t want you to be my girlfriend. It’s just—” He searched for the right words to say. “We haven’t talked about it, and I don’t want to assume. We’re here for a year. We don’t know what’ll happen once we leave. I don’t want to put too much pressure on us and the time we have together.”
“So you want us to be friends with benefits like you and Mina?”
“Fuck no!” Friends with benefits were, by definition, not exclusive. The thought of Farrah touching another guy—or another guy touching Farrah—caused Blake to see red. Then he saw the hurt expression on her face and realized how his interjection must’ve come across. “Don’t get me wrong. I’d love to have sex with you. But it’s not—I mean, we don’t have to have sex. No pressure on that either. Or with the relationship. Not that we have a relationship.”
He didn’t make sense, even to himself.
Blake finally understood how guys with no game must feel. He wanted to sink into the floor.
Farrah’s frown deepened.
He considered throwing himself over the railing into the Huangpu when the frown disappeared, replaced by a wide grin.
“You’re adorable when you’re flustered.”
“I am not flustered.” Blake narrowed his eyes. “Wait. Were you putting me on this entire time?”
Farrah giggled. “You should see your face. You’re so red.”
She squealed in surprise when he picked her up and spun her around. “I can’t believe you did that to me. I have half a mind to throw you into the river,” he threatened.
“You would never!” She wrapped her arms and legs around him and held on tight. “Besides, can you blame me? The chance to see Blake Ryan tripping over himself was too good to resist.”
“It’s inhumane.”
“Oh, come on.” Farrah rested her forehead on his. “I think it’s cute.”
Blake was horrified. “Teddy bears are cute. Puppies are cute. Guys don’t want to be cute. It’s the sexual equivalent of Siberia.”
“Cute is sexy.” Farrah lowered herself to the ground, sliding her body against his as she did so. Need sliced through him, deep and heady.
“Don’t think that’ll get you off the hook.”
“What?” She blinked, innocent as a doe.
“This thing you’re doing.” Blake groaned when she hooked her fingers through his belt loops and pulled him close. Her soft curves melted into the hard lines of his body, and the need ratcheted up five levels.
“I’m not the one on the hook. You’re the one who said I’m not your girlfriend.”
“Do you want to be?”
Her smile faded at his serious tone. “Are you serious?”
Blake’s heart slammed against his ribcage. He nodded.
Farrah’s eyes grew round. Was that a good thing? He couldn’t tell.
One beat, one eternity. Two beats, two eternities.
The longer Blake waited for an answer, the more he wanted to die. He wasn’t used to feeling this way—out-of-control, helpless, and ready to tumble off the precipice at another’s command.
He was so caught up waiting for a verbal answer, it took him a second to register the warmth of Farrah’s lips on his. Her tongue dueled with his; his hands tangled in her hair. Every inch of him ached for her—body, heart, and soul.
Blake was lost, and he never wanted to be found.
“So.” His breath came hard and heavy when they broke for air. “Is that a yes?”
Farrah’s eyes twinkled. “That’s a yes.”
Blake grinned so wide his face might split in two. “You don’t know what you got yourself into.”
“Trying to make me regret my decision already?”
“Never.” He brushed a stray strand of hair from her eyes. “It’s you and me, babe. There’s no backing out now.”
“I suppose