Chapter 416
Chapter 416
Owen froze, pupils narrowing as he stared at Aria’s face.
He knew she was probably joking, but he couldn’t help searching for some hidden meaning in her expression.
The parking lot was dimly lit, so close he couldn’t really see her face, only catch a whiff of the alcohol on her breath
Inside the car, everything felt hushed and intimate.
Owen still gripped her seatbelt with his left hand, while his right braced against the back of her seat.
Because he was leaning in, the inside of his arm just barely brushed against the softness of her cheek.
He thought, Is she the type to spill secrets when she’s drunk? Will she even remember this tomorrow?‘
The thought made Owen tense up, his heartbeat pounding in his chest.
Slowly, he lowered himself so he was at eye level with her and quietly asked, “If I kissed you right now, would you be mad?”
Now it was Aria’s turn to freeze. Her eyes widened as she stared back, pulse quickening. ‘Is he serious right now?*
A cool breeze drifted in through the open window, and moonlight flickered across Owen’s face.
But when Aria looked, the first thing she saw wasn’t his eyes–it was his lips.
They were smooth, the corners quirking up just slightly, thin but not too thin, with just the right amount of allure.
Without even thinking, Aria leaned in and pressed her lips to his.
Owen’s eyes went wide, the scent of her–clean but laced with alcohol–invading his senses and leaving him breathless, his mind going completely blank except for the softness of her lips.
For several heartbeats, neither of them moved.
Then Aria pulled back, slumping into her seat, and finally met Owen’s stunned gaze as reality hit her.
She’d just kissed Owen.
For a long moment, the car was silent except for their breathing.
Owen’s face flushed bright red, his eyes shining as he stared at her, and then, almost shyly, he reached out and ruffled her hair.
It was like he’d decided she was just a tipsy kid acting out,
He let out a quiet laugh, “Guess I’m not the only one with feelings here, huh? Well, you may not have promised me anything, but I’m keeping track–just hope you remember this in the morning.”
feeling to se
The truth was, before she kissed him, he’d wanted to test the waters, to see how she really felt about him, and maybe, deep down, he hoped she’d be too drunk to remember, so things wouldn’t be awkward if she didn’t feel the same.
But now? He really hoped she wouldn’t forget.
Otherwise, who’d hold her accountable?
Owen pulled her seatbelt across, buckled it for her, then sat back in the driver’s seat and did up his own. He started the car.
Aria just sat there in a daze, still in the same position after he’d ruffled her hair, staring out the windshield as a slow, fiery embarrassment crept up her
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Chapter 416
cheeks.
She realized she actually liked being around Owen–a lot.
She didn’t mind hanging out with Vanessa or Cloe, but being with them never made her heart race like this, never made her face hot, and she’d certainly never had the urge to randomly kiss either of them.
What was she thinking? She had to be out of her mind.
She closed her eyes, trying to will the memory away.
Meanwhile, Owen turned up the heat in the car by two degrees, a stupid grin on his face the whole time,
They didn’t get far before hitting a patch of traffic. Owen had barely started wondering what was going on up ahead when his car got flagged down.
The intersection was brightly lit, and a traffic cop took one look at Owen’s flushed face and frowned. “Have you been drinking, sir?”
Owen shook his head. “No, I haven’t.”
The cop didn’t look convinced. “You’re telling me you haven’t been drinking, with your face that red? Blow into this.”
He handed Owen a breathalyzer.
