Page 54 of The Thing About My Rival

“Yes,” I whisper. I’ve never felt so honest, so lacking in bullshit, my entire life.

“Or sarcastic?”

“Yes.”

“Or anything even remotely Hugo-ish?” Her impish smile sparks a weird wiggle in my stomach.

“Not totally sure what that means.” Hell, even in these circumstances she manages to make me chuckle. “And I’m guessing it’s not flattering. But yes.”

“Okay.” She takes a deep breath and blows it out. “As we were on our way out?—”

“We were leavingtogether?”

“Yes, because it was loud. You said we should go somewhere quieter so we could talk.”

I doubt very much that drunk me wanted to take a hot girl somewhere quiet totalk. “Right.”

“As we were walking along the hallway to leave, you stumbled against the closet door and it opened. You laughed and dragged me inside.”

“Then what did I do?”

“Closed the door. And it was pitch dark. Apart from a bit of light coming in underneath.”

That’s really not what I meant. “Thenwhat did I do?”

She swallows, her throat shifting under the delicate fair skin. “You kissed me again.”

Her voice is soft and husky. And, yup, that’s definitely the hottest phrase I have ever heard. My body has never burned with more desire at four simple words.

I take a deep breath and try to subtly shift my crotch to make more room for Mr. Happy. “Where?”

“In the closet. Like I said?—”

“I meant, was it here?” I slide my hand inward along her shoulder and tap the side of her neck.

She shakes her head.

I run my finger higher until it touches her earlobe. “Here?”

She shakes her head again, and presses her lips together.

“How about…” I glide my finger from her ear across her cheek and stop right on the soft, round apple. “Here?”

She shakes her head again, her eyes drifting half closed, and releases her lips, as if giving me a clue.

I trace a path from her cheek to the corner of her mouth and slowly follow the outline of her full pink lips. When I complete the circuit, I bring my finger to rest on her cupid’s bow.

Before I can ask the question again, she lifts her sleepy eyelids, locks her gaze with mine, and nods slowly, her lips rocking against my finger.

Her beautiful fair cheeks brighten with a hint of pink. “Then you pushed your hands up inside my top.”

The inner, silky, damp parts of her lips brush against my finger as she speaks. And all I can think of is her other silky, damp lips and how much I would like to rest my finger there too.

My already racing heart now thumps louder.

It’s a crime that I don’t recall having my hands on her body. There’s nothing I’d likemore than to do that again right now. Except this time, I would make sure that the sensation of my fingers on her flesh, and my mouth on hers, were logged away in my memory forever.

I peel my finger from her lush mouth and shove both hands into my jacket pockets for safety. “And what didyoudo?”

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