Chapter 109 Hot Ride (1)

The sun was a relentless beast, scorching the pavement outside Sweet Swirls Ice Cream Parlor as Chris and I stepped out, the bell above the door jingling behind us. My strawberry cheesecake cone was already melting, a pink drip sliding down my fingers. I licked it off, catching Chris’s eyes on me—those hazel eyes that always seemed to see right through my defenses. He grinned, that lopsided, troublemaker grin, and I felt my cheeks flush, not just from the heat. “Careful, Benita,” he teased, his voice smooth like the vanilla soft serve he’d just demolished. “You’re gonna make a mess.”