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“You don’t haveto be sorry.” Ander’s shock had subdued and he was looking more like himself,quiet and watchful as his eyes scanned her face. “I told you from the beginningwe could kiss if you wanted to. I just thought you didn’t want to pretend.”

“I don’t. I stilldon’t want to pretend anything. I don’t know why I did that.” Lori was stillpropped up beside him, looking down at him, but she wished she’d never startedthis whole thing. She was nervous, confused, and self-conscious, and she didn’tlike feeling that way.

Ander’s eyesnever left her face. “We’ve never done it before, so maybe you were justcurious.”

It wasn’t thetruth, but it was a good excuse, so Lori wasn’t about to object. “Yeah.”

“Do you want totry kissing?” Ander asked. “If it feels unnatural, we don’t have to do it. It’sentirely up to you.”

Lori stareddown at his sober face, deep eyes, and gracefully curved lips. She did want totry—just to see what it was like. But she was suddenly so nervous she couldn’tmake herself move.

“Lori?” Anderprompted. He hadn’t moved. Not a muscle. He lay perfectly still and watchedher. Waited.

Her body movedof its own accord and she scooted closer to him. Leaned down so her mouth wasjust a whisper away from Ander’s. Her heart was pounding so loudly she couldhear it, feel it in her head, in her fingertips, in her lips.

There was norational reason for her to be so hesitant and anxious about a kiss. But shefelt frozen in place, breathing unsteadily and shaking a little.

“Just try it, Lori,”Ander said, his voice a little thick. She could feel his breath on her skin.“Kiss me.”

Then suddenlyshe was kissing him. She didn’t know who had closed the gap between theirmouths. She didn’t remember moving, but Ander’s lips were suddenly pressedagainst hers.

With a chokedsound, she grabbed his bald head with one of her hands. A thrill of excitementand arousal ripped through her as her mouth moved eagerly against his.

He slid histongue against the line of her lips in a questioning exploration. When sheopened for him, his tongue dipped inside, teasing and stroking with both hungerand confidence.

Then Anderturned them over on the bed so he was on top. One of his hands cradled the backof her head as the kiss grew deeper and more intense.

Lori clutchedat his head with both hands, feeling the tight skin of his scalp with herfingertips. Her whole body rocked up into his as their lips and tongues dancedand dueled. He was so hot it felt like he was branding her—on her lips, allover her body.

She whimperedagainst his mouth and breathed desperately through her nose, until he finallypulled away and collapsed back on the bed beside her.

Lori pantedhotly—aroused, exhilarated, and terrified.

“How did youlike it?” Ander asked. She was glad to hear that he sounded rather breathlessand his voice was a little hoarse.

“Um.”

“If it feelsfake or unnatural to you, we don’t have to do it. It’s up to you.”

“Um.”

“Sometimes it’snice to do something different, but we can do whatever you want.”

“Um.”

Ander’s eyesfinally found and held hers. “Well? What did you think?”

Lori swallowedhard. “Wow. You’re really good at that.”

Somethingsoftened almost imperceptibly in Ander’s face. “Should we try it again?”

Lori would be asorry fool not to try something that good again. Why the hell hadn’t she beenkissing him all along?

Feeling a surgeof deep desire, she rolled back over and grabbed his head once more. Then shekissed him hard and deep.

His arms cameup around her immediately, and he helped pull her into position on top of him.She sprawled over his warm, lean body and couldn’t seem to stop kissing him.

This time, sheused her tongue more actively, trying to match the skillful motion of his. Shestroked his smooth scalp and felt a jolt of sharp pleasure when he moanedsoftly at the back of his throat.

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