Page 31 of One Short Summer

Monica pulls back and looks at me, her hands linked behind my neck, legs wrapped tightly around my hips. Her eyes are wide open, almost sparkling, and I wonder if it’s in shock or in surprise at what just happened.

“Monica, what on earth—”

Before I have a chance to finish my sentence, she closes the distance between us and presses her lips to mine.

Chapter Eleven

Monica

The second our lips touch,I jolt backward. Well, as far as I can while still clinging to Gabe. I’m not the only one holding on though since Gabe has a pretty firm grip on me too—my butt, specifically.

Not that I’m complaining.

I’m still not sure what possessed me to not only jump into his arms the way I did, but to also kiss him on top of that.

Well, it wasn’t a real kiss anyway. Just apeck.

Does that even count as a kiss?

Though, I have to admit it was a very delicious and electrifying peck.

Okay, I think we can definitely count it as a kiss.

He’s still staring at me, looking as dumbfounded as I imagine I might look too.

“Gabe, I don’t know what...I just—” I can’t even come up with a good explanation, but at the same time, I don’t want to apologize either. For the simple reason that I don’t actually feel sorry for what I did.

Not even a little.

The euphoria of finally dancing again took over my body so fully and completely I feel like I’m floating on cloud nine. And I couldn’t be happier about it. When I saw Gabe standing next to the door, watching me with such an overjoyed expression on his face, I just had to share my excitement with him.

After all, he’s partially responsible for this happening.

The kiss wasn’t planned, but oh well—too late to take it back now anyway.

Now that I think about it, I’m actually quite comfortable here in his arms. Our chests are pressed together, both of us sweaty, allowing me to feel his body heat. Since I wasn’t able to move back a lot, our faces are only inches apart.

Gabe’s eyes bore into mine with an intensity that would make me sway if his arms weren’t already around me like a protective cage. Just when I wonder if he might drop me at any moment, he turns us around and presses my body into the wall behind me. I welcome the cold touch to my still-overheated skin as his hands slightly tremble under my thighs and he leans in until our foreheads touch.

“You’re so beautiful, and you’re driving me absolutely crazy.” He draws out the last words, and I’m unable to keep the smile off my face.

“Good.” My voice sounds confident, even though I’m not completely sure what to make of the situation, feeling a little off-balance. “And thank you, even though I know I look like a mess—”

This time, it’s Gabe’s turn to cut me off in the middle of a sentence as he closes the distance between us.

His mouth is on mine so suddenly, my breath catches in the back of my throat in a loud gasp.

His lips are demanding, urgent even, his tongue seeking entrance after only a few short moments. There’s absolutely no way I’d deny him that.

My body is on fire, this one kiss searing through my veins like I just got electric superpowers. Even though my legs have started to slowly feel like Jell-O, they tighten around him instinctively, pulling him as close to me as possible.

He seems to feel the same way—not able to get enough—as he kneads my ass some more before moving up my body. Until he reaches the exposed skin of my waist.

Wherever he touches me, my skin feels hot and alive, my whole body humming with an energy that makes me want to moan and do a whole lot more of this.

Preferably with less clothes.

The little peck I gave him is nothing compared to this kiss. They actually couldn’t be more polar opposites.

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