Capture the Moment (Moments #1)

26. Cleo

twenty-six

Cleo

I made a deal with a backwards-cap, dad-clothes-wearing devil. Blake looks down at me with a smile of complete and utter mischief and I know that I’ve sparked a deal with a man who has no limit.

My skin crawls as memories of a man from my past and how I sold him my soul in exchange for a handful of trust, filters through my mind.

I shudder and I can feel myself spiraling. Why did I come here tonight? Have I screwed myself over again?

Let’s face it, Cleo. In the last two years, you’ve done that more times than you can count.

Blake steps further into my space, his warm scent crowds my senses as he looks down at me. His eyes are soft, yet mischievous and it doesn’t take a genius to know that this man is dangerous.

Not in the sexy stalker or assassin way but in the heartthrob, detrimental to my ovaries and emotions kind of way.

His blue eyes sparkle as he leans in close to my ear, his warm minty breath lingers in the space between us.

“Oh, sweet, sweet princess, you’ve just made a deal with the devil.” He grins mischievously before clasping his large hand around my own, dragging me around the vast fairground. I don’t protest as Blake records me with our project's camcorder as I fail to hit a target in one of the fair games.

“YES! FINALLY A GAME CLEO JONES CAN’T— Oh, come on! How’d you make that?” he groans, licking the smile off his lips as he looks down at me. Blake can’t help the chuckle that escapes his mouth as he looks over the pin I’d just knocked down.

From the corner of my eye, I see a flash of pink rush past that catches my attention. I know who it is before I turn my head to see Sienna running away from Derek, the hot ass goalie on the Hockey team. He’s holding a small toddler who’s pointing at my running cousin. I raise a brow at the interaction before focusing back on the stunned male beside me. He gives me a small smile before wrapping his arm around my shoulder, I pause at the action, heart pounding against my chest.

Are we close enough to do things like this now? Is he my new “guy friend”, or whatever Dad calls my situationships ? Instead of dwelling on the thought of my father and the rule we’d set for me before attending SFU, I relax under Blakes touch as he guides us away from the stands to the large spinning death wheel in the middle of the festival.

The Ferris wheel.

Now, I’m no scaredy cat. But I do have a completely rational fear of metal rides that can be built overnight in the middle of a shopping mall parking lot—albeit this is a school and not a mall—the notion still stands.

Blake must sense my hesitancy because he chuckles.

“You scared, Princess?” he teases, and I roll my eyes because me, scared? Never! Just a little… Weary of my safety is all.

“Do I look scared, Wilder?”

He pauses, letting go of me and stepping back to appraise me. Blake’s icy blue eyes rove over my body as he licks the corner of his lips before taking his plump bottom lip between his teeth.

“You look beautiful, Jones. But you also look scared shit—”

I smack his arm and turn on my heels to the metal wheel, my stomach and heart roaring at me to back down. My stupid head on the other hand refuses to walk away from such a challenge.

So, instead of walking the other way like a smart person, I walk towards the Ferris wheel with Blake in tow. I can feel his excitement from behind me as the operator lets us onto the rickety cart. My stomach drops as the cart moves sideways once Blake sits on the same side as me, clearly tilting us.

“You’re too big,” I say through gritted teeth and immediately wish I hadn’t as I can feel the smirk he’s laid on.

“That’s not the first time I’ve been told that.” He chuckles, hoisting up his phone, snatching a picture of the setting sun in the distance as we slowly climb to the top of the Ferris wheel.

“Well, let me redact my words… Your fat ass is making us tilt.”

Blake lets out the most guttural laugh I’ve ever heard in my life, doubling over, letting his laughter fully consume him.

Blake Wilder has the type of laughter that halts the world, it's infectious and beautiful so much so that I don’t want to make any noise because if I do, I worry that I won’t be able to hear him as well as before.

He wipes a stray tear from his eyes and settles back into the seat, pulling out the camcorder from his pocket.

“What do you love about life, Cleo Jones?” He asks, still smiling from his burst of laughter and I know it’s one of our interview questions but the way that he looks at me from above the camera has my stomach flipping and suddenly I’m a nervous teenager on her first date.

“I love that every day is different, and that we’re never as young as we are right now. I love the idea of everyday being an adventure and the idea of one day growing old with the person I love. Maybe we’d have a kid, or three, or a fucking soccer team because who doesn’t love a large family?” I ask and don’t realize I’m rambling or the fact that Blake’s focus is completely on me, the camera long gone in his lap as he watches me with complete fascination and adoration. “I want a large family, y’know since I have one already. I love that life gives us ample opportunities to seize the moment and savor everything it has to offer. I love that I get a restart every day and do something different, something better. I love the fact that I’m here doing shit I’d never thought I’d do last year like riding a Ferris wheel because the world didn’t end when I was 19 and life goes on. I love that you’re here with me and I love the fact… that I’m rambling…” I trail off, noticing the look on his face.

He’s much closer now and I don’t want him to move away. I want him closer to me. Blake’s gaze searches my eyes softly, like a tender caress before falling to my parted lips, and then back up to my eyes.

Perfect execution of the triangle method, I will say.

His voice is soft yet hoarse all at once and I melt into a puddle as he whispers, “Can I kiss you, Princess?”

I might orgasm from his gentleness alone, and instead of responding, I pull his face to mine and melt into him as our lips crash together.

The kiss is both magnetic and exotic as our tongues dance together like the sun and the moon, star-crossed lovers that have been kept apart for far too long only to see each other during the day. But it’s nearly nighttime and yet he’s the sun that’s still in the sky taking me whole in his mouth.

As our tongues dance, my stomach warms, and a crowd cheers. I think I’m hearing things until the cheers grow louder; we part only for a second, eyes locked on one another. Glowing orbs catch our attention at the same time and I gasp as little golden lanterns light the sky. And it’s in this moment that I realize that I don’t want this to end and that’s what fucking terrifies me because where there’s puck stars, there’s drama.

I gulp as we reach the ground, I practically climb over him to escape the death wheel. I leave the bewildered man behind and want to curse myself for the action because fuck , I might actually like him, and I am so fucked if I do.

I send a margarita emoji (otherwise known as our SOS text) to my friends, they’re quick to respond with the same. Looks like we're all in some deep shit.

They’re waiting for me at the exit and bless their souls because I don't think I'd survive facing Blake right now. My stomach churns as we make our way to Sienna’s car and I feel like I’ve made the biggest mistake of my life as I leave behind the one guy I’ve liked a little too much for the first time in a year.