Page 37 of Coerced

“I’m gonna guess the pool. You’re all wide-eyed and shaking like you were then. I think you wanted to kiss me that day. Maybe even as much as I wanted to kiss you.” His hands trembled a little. “Like I want to kiss you now. Is that okay?”

“Uh-huh.” I nodded, too, to make it extra clear that I was onboard.

I closed my eyes as his mouth met mine, his touch gentle and slow. When he moved his lips, I mimicked him, not really knowing what to do, but figuring I was going in the right direction when a deep rumble vibrated through his chest.

My tiger’s purring, I mused, half in a dream.

Or at least I was until I heard a soft thud. My eyes flew open to see chunks of white raining down on us.

The side of Kerry’s head was plastered with snow and his eyes filled with murder. I was too dazed at first to understand what had happened, but I followed his line of sight and saw Jax tossing a snowball up and down. Gigi stood next to him, her hands up to protest her innocence, but she needn’t have bothered. The mischief in Jax’s eyes told the whole story.

“Jax!” Kerry roared as he released me.

“What?” Jax grinned unrepentantly. “Look at how red Tomato is! It’s obvious she needs to cool down. I was just trying to help.”

Kerry ran at Jax, who took off in a flurry of snow. Still woozy, I staggered over to where Gigi stood looking down at her phone.

“I did try to stop him,” she laughed, “but you know how Jax gets when he has that look in his eyes.”

“Kerry kissed me.”

“So I saw. Your eyes are still spinning.”

I was stunned and not exactly sure where I was or what I was supposed to be doing. It felt as if I were standing on the edge of a sheer cliff, teetering in the wind. The adrenaline rush was heady, but the fear was paralyzing.

Gigi gasped and covered her mouth with one hand.

“Oh my goodness, was that the first time? I amsosorry Jax interrupted! I am going to kill that boy!”

“Gigi,” I whispered, “I love him.”

“Well,yeah. I’ve known that for months.”

“I’m scared.”

“OfKerry? I know I was doubtful at first, but he would never hurt you, Gemma. I’m convinced of it.”

“No, not of him.” I pressed my hands against my chest. “It’s this feeling inside me. It’s so … much, I feel like I can’t breathe sometimes!”

She wrapped an arm around my shoulders and hugged me.

“Your sweet Kerry feels the same way about you. Imagine how hard it must be forhimto understand that he’s falling in love.”

“Heis?” My jaw dropped.

“Are you serious?” She pulled back and held out her phone.

Puzzled, I looked down at it and saw she’d snapped a photo of Kerry and me kissing just now.

“You… You took a picture of us?”

“It isadorablehow tender he is with you. Look at how he’s holding your face! Yes, my friend, he loves you. How could you question it?”

I blinked. Sure, I’dhopedthat he was feeling the same way about me, but he’d never said—

Does he need to?I asked myself.Does heneedto say it when each look, each touch, each action, proves how he feels?

I smiled. No, he didn’t. He showed me he loved me when he kissed my knuckles or held my hand or threw himself between me and danger, even if the danger was only a rude loudmouth in the hallway. I didn’t need the words because he was saying them every time he called me angel.

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