Sweet Contradiction Read Online Free PDF Page B

and you’ll still get to ride.” Hunter looked as surprised as I felt at the suggestion. A seat of riders were about to get off, making it our turn to mount the big, bad, ferris wheel. Jen was already shaking her head.
    “I wouldn’t want Hunter to …” Hunter grabbed Jen by the hand, thus cutting off her reply with an audible snap of her mouth.
    “It’s no big deal, I kinda hate the ferris wheel anyway. I was just going to ride it to make poor Matt feel safer.” He grinned at a speechless Jen and gently tugged her out of line. Amazingly enough … she went without protest. The gate screeched open behind me. Matt was there holding it open with a questioning look on his face.
    “Looks like this is us.” He held a hand out and for some inexplicable reason … I took it. He helped me into the unsteady seat and then joined me. I was instantly aware of how small the seats were. Where Jen and I would have been close to each other, Matt and I were thigh to thigh without any wiggle space. Matt glanced over at me and then put his arm behind me on the back of the seat. There was no help for it, it was the most comfortable way for him to sit. The carny clamped the little gate shut on our seat and then walked over to push a button to make our seat rise. A screech and a lurch and our seat rocked back and forth, making me jump and grab onto Matt’s thigh. Once the seat settled into a slow rock and we were waiting while the seat below us was being filled with new passengers, I became a little more relaxed.
    “I thought you loved this ride,” Matt said. I glanced over at my ride buddy and smiled.
    “I do,” I answered, wondering why he mentioned it.
    “Oh, I couldn’t tell.” His smile broadened as he glanced down at my hand. I still had a death grip on his thigh. I jerked my hand back and felt the warmth of a blush creeping up my neck and cheeks. I glanced away quickly and muttered an apology. Matt chuckled softly.
    “So, what is it you like about the ferris wheel?” I could feel Matt’s gaze and when I finally turned my eyes to his, I could see the honesty in his regard. He really wanted to know. I leaned back further in my seat, not too worried about Matt’s arm behind me. I sighed and tilted my head back and let it rest on his arm when the wheel once again began to move up. We were already almost completely full and then the wheel would turn without pause.
    “I don’t know, really. I’m actually a little afraid of heights,” I said softly. “I guess it is just the thought of being closer to the stars, closer to the heavens, further away from reality, and when the wheel really starts to turn—it’s almost like nothing can touch you, you’ve found an escape and you’re finally … free . I gazed up at the stars, aware I probably had revealed a little bit too much about myself to someone I hardly knew.
    “Did you need an escape a lot when you were growing up?” Matt asked softly. I released a long breath just as the ferris wheel began to turn without pause. I counted my blessings. The ride was exhilarating, slightly terrifying, but definitely exhilarating. Every time we would crest the top of the ride I would get that all over tingly sensation that would begin at my scalp, like my skin couldn’t contain all the sensations my body was experiencing. When we crested the top a third time, Matt’s hand skimmed up arm to push the hair on that lay on my shoulder out of his way. His warm palm cupped the side of my neck while his thumb began to make tiny, thought scattering circles on the soft, sensitive skin just below my ear lobe. My breath hitched and my heart slammed into my ribs. The sensations that were washing over me produced by the ride all faded into black as the gentle caresses of Matt’s fingers set my entire body vibrating like a fine tuned instrument. Matt was the master musician of this particular orchestra.
    When I dared to glance over at him, I felt almost consumed by the intensity of his gaze.