Page 47 of Mitch

“Are you nervous?” I asked.

Mitchell shrugged. “I told you, you’re the one running the show this evening,” he said softly.

I chewed my bottom lip.

“I don’t want you to hold back because of me,” I said, feeling slightly upset that he would even think to do such a thing.

Mitchell’s gaze flashed to mine. “I just don’t want you to feel like I’m pushing you.”

“Because you like me?” It wasn’t a question as much as a statement, but when I said the words, I could see the way his entire body relaxed.

“Yeah, Cream Puff. I like you. A lot, actually.”

I turned toward him, angling my body closer. I could feel the warmth between us, a cozy fire of our own making.

Archie’s words reverberated in my brain. The question I’d been afraid to answer before, wasn’t as scary nowwhen I looked at Mitchell.

Instinctively, I reached out, letting my fingertips feel the smoothness of his freshly shaved skin. I’d been dying to touch it all evening. The smoothness beneath my fingers was warm and it felt... right.

Hefelt right.

“I like you too. A lot,” I said, my voice barely a whisper.

I watched as Mitchell closed his eyes, rubbing his cheek against my palm, some of his coarse facial hair scratching my skin.

It wasn’t an unpleasant feeling at all, and I found myself wanting to run my fingers over the rough texture lining his jaw.

Wanting to run my fingertips over his lips, into his hair...

I didn’t think twice about pulling him to me, about kissing him.

Mitchell groaned in my mouth as my lips moved slowly against his, and I let go just as the firstboomhit the sky, echoing above us.

When I broke away, I could see the sun had disappeared, dusk taking over and changing the world into somethingdifferent, something new.

And when I looked in Mitchell’s dark eyes, I could see the sparkle like a northern star as the fireworks crackled behind him.

He slid his hand over my neck, his fingers playing with the edges of my hair at the nape of my neck as he pulled me in for another searing kiss.

This...

This is what love is supposed to feel like.

And as we made out underneath the fireworks, I came alive for the very first time.

CHAPTER 19

Mitch

I parkedthe car in the parking lot, glancing over at Penn as I contemplated just taking him home. It would have been the gentlemanly thing to do, since I already felt like I was pushing the envelope with him.

But truth was, I liked being around the guy and his golden aura. His sweet disposition, his blushing cheeks. He was fun to mess with, and fun to instigate, and...

He was a really good kisser.

A part of me couldn’t believehe’d agreed to a date in the first place—after all, I knew better than anyone as far aswewere concerned, this wholethingwas new for him.

I’d dated my share of men in Jasper Springs, so I understood wholeheartedly the caution of jumping into a relationship with some boy next door like Penn.

---