Page 67 of Loaded

But once we reach the car and shut the door, it’s quiet. Too quiet.

“Hey, so. . .”

“Yeah?” He turns, leaning across my body to click my seatbelt into place. “What?” His face is inches from mine. “Everything okay?”

I swallow. “The thing is?—”

He’s staring at my mouth. His eyes are fixated on it. Is he going to kiss me? Do I want him to?

I need to tell him about the whole Tyler thing, but in this moment, I can’t find a single word. His mouth lowers toward mine, and a tiny sigh escapes.

The corner of his mouth turns upward, and he bites his lip. “Bea.”

“Yeah?” I look up at his eyes, but he’s still looking at my mouth.

“You have the most beautiful mouth I’ve ever seen.” And then he kisses me, pressing his lips against mine.

My hands shoot up to grab his face, and he shifts a little, his mouth slanting across my lips. Our bodies are pressed tightly together, probably because of the enclosed space, but I like it. Ilikeit, like it.

He doesn’t try to plunge his tongue into my mouth. He doesn’t try to suck my face off. He just kisses megently, persistently—his lips moving softly against mine—and my heart soars inside my body.

“Easton,” I whisper.

He releases me and drops back into his seat. “I did it.” He’s smiling.

“Did what?” I raise one eyebrow. “Did you have a bet?”

“Yes.” He’s beaming now. He shifts so he’s looking at me again. “A bet with myself.”

“With yourself?” That’s too cute. “What were the terms?”

“I promised myself I wouldn’t chicken out.”

“Do you chicken out a lot?”

He shakes his head. “Not really, but I’ve never been this excited or this nervous about kissing someone in my entire life.”

“Me either,” I admit.

And now he’sreallybeaming.

“The thing is,” I say. “Something happened at the party I should tell you about.”

“Oh yeah?” He’s leaning toward me again. “Was it something like this?” When he kisses me again, I forget all about stupid Tyler.

But maybe I shouldn’t have.

14

EASTON

My stupid board has called an emergency board meeting. I’d like to complain, but I can’t, seeing as I did the same thing.

“What was so urgent?” After my date last night, I couldn’t sleep, I was so excited. Six a.m. came especially early this work week. My eyes are still burning, even after my commute to the office. “You all look exceptionally crabby.”

“You should have been the one callingusin here,” Mrs. Yaltzinger says. “To explain this.” She points at the television on the wall.

It’s black.

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