Page 67 of Here's to Tomorrow

I cover my face in mortification. “You’re welcome,” I utter through my hands.

He laughs, holding his out. “Walk me to the door?”

I accept it with ease.

I can see myself doing a lot of that with Hudson—simply accepting things with him. Anything. Everything. It all feels so right, so fresh and exciting.I like it. I like him.

We walk to the door, our hands still clasped.

“So, before you rudely interrupted me earlier,” he jokes, “I was going to ask you if you wanted to go out again sometime. Ya know, if you aren’t too tired of me yet.”

“Gee, I don’t know, Hudson. I have a few other dates lined up for this week so I’m not sure if I’ll have the time. I can give you a call, though. Oh wait, I forgot you don’t know how to use a phone.”

“Just for that smartass comment, I’ll be texting you daily from now on. You’ll get at least five texts from me, all completely random questions. Be prepared.”

“You don’t scare me, mister.”

He just laughs and tugs me closer into him. He’s quick and kissing me right at the corner of my mouth before I know what he’s doing. His lips linger for all of two seconds before he pulls back and stares into my eyes.

That look? The one he’s giving me right now? It’s sayingI want you.

My breath catches from the intensity I see in them. Hudson notices. His hand, the one that isn’t still holding mine, moves deliberately upward.

Then it stops and Hudson reaches out, placing his hand on my chest just above my breasts. My chest is heaving at this point.Up, down. Up, down. Updownupdownupdown.I know he can feel my rapid heartbeat. Hell, he can probablyseeit—that’s how hard and fast it’s going right now.

He mutters something but I can’t hear it over the pressure in my head.

His hand is traveling now…slowly…ever so slowly. I close my eyes and do my best to control my breathing as his hand creeps higher and higher, gently moving my heavy hair off my neck. Then it stops, cradling my neck with just the right amount of pressure.

I can feel him move in closer, feel his breath on my face. His lips connect at the corner of my mouth again, moving toward my ear, barely grazing my cheeks.

“Goodnight, Rae,” he whispers.

And then he’s gone, rushing out the door before I can utter another word.

Again? Are you fucking kidding me?

I begin pacing my apartment. I have never been so sexually frustrated from simple cheek-kisses in my entire life!

Does my breath stink?I check. Nope, smells breathy. Maybe he’s a psycho that gets off on baiting women because I swear it seems he has an MO or some shit.

I pull my phone out to call the one person I know will know what’s going on.

“Miss me already?”

“Perry!” I shout. I can hear him wince.

“Ow. Yes?”

“I have a problem…” I spend the next five minutes telling him about my dates with Hudson and how he’s left me hanging with a cheek-kiss every damn time.

“Hmm…I don’t know, Rae.”

“I don’t either. I know he likes me and this was date two-point-five so I just don’t understand. I mean, there’s no way he doesn’t know I want him to kiss me.”

“Maybe he’s waiting for you to make the first move? Or maybe waiting for lucky date number three?” Perry tries to reason.

I shrug even though he can’t see me. “Maybe. I don’t know. This dating shit sucks.”

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