Page 64 of January

“Oh. Then, it more than served its purpose. I can kind of see a bit of your bra through the space between the buttons.”

“What?” Kyle said, looking down.

“I’m kidding.” Melinda laughed.

After they finished their coffees, they walked toward Melinda’s place through the sea of humanity, which was the French Quarter at that time of night. Melinda pulled Kyle around to the back of the building where they’d have some privacy and looked up at her staircase.

“Come up,” she said, tugging on Kyle’s sweater.

“I should get back…”

“Come up, Ky,” Melinda repeated her invitation and wrapped her arms around Kyle’s shoulders. “I want you to.”

“I want that, too, but I don’t think I should.”

“Why not?”

“Because I really,reallywant to,” Kyle said, pulling her in close.

“Why is that a problem, exactly?”

“It’s our first date.”

Melinda nodded, bit her lower lip, and asked, “Can I at least get a goodnight kiss?”

Kyle smiled and leaned in, gently pecking Melinda’s lips before pulling back.

“Not what I had in mind,” she remarked before pulling Kyle back in for more.

Kyle had been smiling, so when their lips reconnected, it was awkward at first until she started kissing Melinda back, but, damn, Kyle could kiss. Her lips seemed to know where to go to meet Melinda’s, and her tongue slipped out and into Melinda’s mouth, causing Melinda to moan and pull Kyle in tighter. Kyle then nibbled on Melinda’s lower lip, letting it go and pulling it back in for more, and Melinda’s tongue slid across Kyle’s upper lip before she moved it inside Kyle’s mouth as she moved her hands up and under Kyle’s sweater and shirt.

“Come up,” she said breathlessly.

“Another time,” Kyle replied. “Soon.” She kissed Melinda sweetly.

“Ky?” she pouted.

“You said you go too fast.”

“What?”

“Before, when you said no to us going out, you mentioned that you sometimes go too fast with people. I don’t want to be someone you go fast with, Mel.”

She nodded, understanding, and said, “But soon, right?”

“Soon.”

CHAPTER 17

“Hello,” Kyle greeted.

“Kyle Schafer?”

“That’s me. You must be Myra.”

“I am, yes,” the woman replied, shaking Kyle’s hand as Kyle pushed the door open farther.

“Come on in. Thanks for stopping by on such short notice.”

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