The Stone Sisters: Lyssa (The Stones Sisters Book 1) (8 page)

“Um, there’s another side to the booth.”

“Yeah, but that’s just too far away from you.”

Now she looked like all cute and cherry red.
 
For a moment, he just stared at her.
 
The delicate turn of her nose, the light of her eyes and the sweet smile, which would flutter on her lips, mostly when she thought no one noticed.
 
All of these things drew him in just as surely as her intelligence and the strength that seemed to be deep within her.
 
He wanted to know everything about her.
 
He didn’t think he’d get enough.
 
Reminding himself that this was a first date and it was lust at first sight, not love, he gently grabbed a loose strand of hair and tucked it behind her ear.
 
She frowned and grabbed it, as if angry that her hair did not strictly obey her.

She cleared her throat, “You were going to tell me about your job?”

“Oh yeah, it’s no big deal I just work at a gas station.”

She sipped her orange soda and then nervously started to strip away the label.
 
He leaned forward and gently inhaled.
 
Lyssa started and pulled back just a bit.

“Um, what?”

“You smell really nice.
 
What are you wearing?”

“Just lavender oil.
 
Nothing expensive.”

“I like it.
 
It suits you.”
 
After a moment he asked, “So do you have a part time job?”

A little musical laugh escaped her lips.
 
Her pouty, pink, kissable lips.
 
“You mean besides Lexa?”

“Huh?”
 
Kyle realized he’d been so caught in her laugh and her lips that he completely didn’t hear what she said.

“It’s nothing.
 
No, I don’t have a job.
 
My parents don’t believe in them.
 
My job has always been to look out for Lexa and I will fulfill that duty with my life.”

His eyes rose to meet her wide gray-blue ones.
 
That had been an odd response.
 
Odd phrasing and, more importantly, there had been an odd intensity to it.
 
As if, Lyssa risked her life on a regular basis to save Lexa.
 
He ran his thumb over her cheek and she blushed.
 
At least this time she didn’t pull back.

“What about once you finish school?
 
What are your plans?”

Lyssa looked away and sighed, “I don’t want to talk about that.”

Kyle arched a brow, “Why not?”

“Because so many things can change the future.
 
You think what you want is right around the corner, but what you don’t know could kill you.
 
I like living in the now as much as I can.
 
And right now I just… want to spend time with you.”

Her skin turned several shades of red and she looked away, shy and embarrassed. Now that was real progress.
 
She wanted to spend time with him.
 
Maybe before the day was out he’d get her to commit to date number two.
 
He’d stay a little more local for date two, however.

For a long time they just stared at one another.
 
Nothing else mattered except learning about this strange girl.
 
She was beautiful.
 
No, more than that she was completely hot.
 
But, that wasn’t what was so attractive about her.
 
There was fire in her eyes, which she tried to hide behind a cold exterior.
 
He wanted that fire.
 
He wanted to see her light up like the sun in the morning sky.

“Forty-two.”

He gently traced a finger over her brow.

“Forty-two!
 
Hey Forty-two!”

Suddenly, he started.
 
She looked away and the spell was broken.
 
“I guess I’d better go get our pizza.
 
I’ll be right back.”

When he came back, he could see the barrier was up again.
 
He was disappointed, but such a thing was to be expected.
 
She worked hard to keep people out and he had gotten his foot in the door.
 
Everything in him wanted to try to break the door down.
 
Instead, he smiled and sat across from her.
 
She dove into the pizza and ate as if she hadn’t eaten in a while.

Smiling, he started in as well and they ate in silence.
 
It didn’t feel awkward, however.
 
It felt natural.
 
As if they had eaten alone together a thousand times before.
 
When her eyes met his, she stilled for a moment.
 
Then she smiled and grabbed another slice of pizza.

“When do I find out where we are going?”

“When we get there, Miss Nosy.”

Grinning, she grabbed the last slice of pizza and devoured it.
 
Her eyes were on him and there was a gleam of amusement in them.
 
Damn, he just liked her.
 
Even when she was acting like a smartass know it all in class.
 
He found her lack of caring about what people thought about her hot too.

He paid their bill as they headed out of the pizza place.
 
Once in the car, he headed on to their final destination for the day.
 
He managed to keep it a secret.
 
That is, he kept it a secret until she saw a sign.

“New Hampshire Motor Speedway?”

Kyle grinned, “Sorry it isn’t NASCAR today.
 
It’s all vintage car…”

She screamed before he could even finish the word cars.
 
Grinning from ear to ear, she leaned over and hugged him as he drove.
 
He knew she liked fast cars.
 
He had a feeling she liked racing in general by the way she had pulled out of the driveway.
 
Kyle glowed in his success.

“This is almost as good!
 
I love vintage car racing just as much!
 
Thank you!
 
This is going to be so much fun!”

They parked and even though she was in heels, Lyssa practically ran towards the speedway.
 
Her excitement was contagious and the event that he thought would be sort of fun became extremely exciting.
 
They got to their seats and she stood, looking through a pair of binoculars he brought.
 
She grinned and commented on each car she saw, made a choice and sat down.
 
Her legs were bouncing and she was beaming in delight.

When the cars started, she jumped up and let out a loud scream, calling out for some car or another.
 
He honestly wasn’t paying attention to much beyond how much she had lit up in front of him.
 
It was a new side of her.
 
Once the cars were off, she was bouncing in place until they were far from view and then she sat down.
 
Looking over to him, she took his hand and squeezed it as she grinned.

“How did you know?”

“The first day I saw you, the way you pulled out of the parking lot.
 
It wasn’t the last time you sped somewhere and you seem… I don’t know.
 
You just seemed like the type of person who wanted to race.
 
Every day after school, you speed out.
 
But you handle the car well.”

Lyssa blushed and turned her gaze back to the track, “I’m not that great.
 
I just really like speeding.”

There was a gleam in her eyes as she looked at the track.
 
Shaking his head he replied, “Yeah right, you totally want to be a racer!”

Blushing, she turned away, but her hand stayed in his.
 
The two were quiet again as she sat there embarrassed.
 
But, her continuing to hold his hand was progress.
 
Of course, as soon as the cars closed in again, she was up on her feet and screaming and acting like a kid at a carnival.
 
And that is how the afternoon went.

“Hey, do you want anything?”

“Soda and popcorn please?”
 
She grinned up at him so cutely.

“What about vanilla ice cream?”

“If they have that, then yes!”

Laughing he headed out and got the required ice cream, popcorn and soda.
 
They had soft serve so he got it chocolate dipped.
 
He was sure she’d like the hard chocolate shell.
 
When he returned, he just stopped and watched her.
 
She was sitting there, eyes closed.
 
Suddenly, she smiled and opened her eyes, rose and let out a yell as the cars rode by.
 
Some of the other people in the area were obviously laughing at her, but either she didn’t notice or didn’t care.
 
She was screaming her heart out and enjoying every moment of it.

When she sat, he finished making his way to her and handed her the ice cream, which she started to devour.
  
Looking at him, she tilted her head, “What, no pistachio?”

Laughing, he leaned over and took a bite of her ice cream.
 
Her eyes went wide, “Hey! Thief!”
 
After she laughed, she said, “I love chocolate dipped.”

He grinned, “I kind of figured you would.”

She giggled and started eating her ice cream again.
 
Over the next hour, she ate the ice cream, popcorn and drank all the soda.
 
He would say he had no idea where she put it all away, except the amount of energy she threw into screaming and bouncing had to have eaten up most of that.
 
When the racing for the day was done, she looked heartbroken.
 
He laughed and put an arm around her, which she accepted.
 
More progress.

“Hey, I’ll try to get us tickets to NASCAR next time.”

She yawned and leaned into his side, unguarded in her tired state.
 
He didn’t press, afraid to scare her off and lose this moment with her.
 
They made their way slowly to the car.

“That would be expensive.
 
I’m sure this date was costly enough.
 
If we go to NASCAR we go Dutch.”

With a grin, Kyle asked, “So there will be a next time?”

“Don’t be a jerk.
 
You get a date number two.
 
I could revoke dating privileges at any time.
 
So don’t get too cocky.”

“Too cocky, huh?”
 
Kyle said slyly.

Lyssa rolled her eyes and blushed at the same time.
 
Laughing, he opened up her car door and stared down at her for a moment.
 
Their gazes locked and he knew he could kiss her.
 
She’d let him.
 
But, it wasn’t time yet.
 
He wanted her to do more than just let him kiss her.
 
He wanted her to crave his kiss.
 
He wanted their first kiss to be so explosive she’d want to continue dating him for a long time.
 
He caressed her cheek a moment and then leaned back.