Page 58 of Anyone But Her

I laugh. "You do, don't you?"

"Doesn't mean it's weird," she says, defensively. "And it's just the socks not the hat."

"Hey." I move closer to her. "I'm just teasing. I actually find your weirdness to be kinda cute."

"Cute?" She looks at me and almost seems hurt.

"What's wrong? You don't like being called cute?"

She shrugs and glances away again. "It's fine."

Which means it's not fine. But why did that upset her?

I think for a moment and then I get it. Cute sounds like I see her as a friend, or my friend's kid-sister. So is she saying she wants me to see her as more than that? After telling me not to?

"Taylor." I reach my hand up to her face and turn it toward me. "I didn't mean it like that."

Her eyes go to mine. "Like what?"

"Like..." I try to figure out how to say this. "Like the way you're thinking."

"It's fine. Really. You think I'm cute. That's a good thing, right?" She says it with a nervous laugh and looks away.

"You're more than cute. You're beautiful." I wait until she looks at me, then say, "I just didn't think I should tell you that. But what the hell? You ARE beautiful, so there. I said it. You're also really hot."

Her mouth turns up. "You think I'm hot?"

"Very hot. So hot I'm finding it hard to..." I don't finish the statement but just gaze into her eyes. God, she has beautiful eyes. I swear the damn things sparkle.

"You find it hard to what?" she asks, sounding breathless.

"Be around you without..." I move closer and lean in until my mouth hovers over hers, "without doing this." I kiss her and, shit, it's even better than before. Sparks fly. No joke. I can feel it, little sparks going off as we kiss.

Whatever promises I made to myself about leaving her alone this summer were broken the moment our lips touched. I can't make myself stay away from her. Not now. Not after kissing her. Not after feeling like we're back to the place we were last spring. Not after looking into her eyes and knowing she wants this as much as I do. Not after opening up to her and having her listen as though what I'm saying is the most important thing in the world.

This girl is the only girl I want. I knew it before I'd even met her. It's one of those things you can't explain and yet makes perfect sense.

We continue to kiss and I lean her back on the couch. Her hands grip my shirt and tug me closer so that our bodies are touching.

This is moving fast, probably too fast. But I can't stop and neither can she. I sit up and yank off my t-shirt then lower my body over hers and kiss her neck.

"Luke," she whispers, her eyes closed, a soft smile on her face. She tips her head back as I kiss her neck, her chest rising and falling with each breath.

My kisses continue along the outline of her shirt. She's wearing a loose fitting t-shirt that dips down between her breasts and when I get to that spot, she moans my name, which is the sexiest damn thing I've ever heard.

The decision now is whether to keep going. I think she'd be willing to go farther but it'd probably be better to take it slow. I don't want to rush it and risk screwing up what we just started.

I kiss my way up her neck and back to her mouth. My body presses into hers and I realize I'm moving too fast again. I start to pull away but she doesn't let me, grabbing my shorts and pulling me against her.

"Taylor," I say softly over her mouth, urging her to slow down. It's not what either of us wants but it's for the best. Problem is, it might be too late. We're both so into this I'm not sure we can to stop.

Our kisses heat up, tongues tangling, neither one of us even pausing to take a breath. I slip my hand under her shirt, feeling her soft skin.

"Luke?" I hear a woman's voice followed by several knocks.

I look at Taylor and freeze.

"My mom!" Taylor says in a frantic whisper. "Get up! Hurry!"

---