Page 68 of Here and Now
“For what?”
Her big blue eyes are locked on mine, and then, as if she realizes what’s about to happen, she steps back, tucking her hair behind her ear. “For falling ...”
When she starts to turn, I gently grab her wrist and she faces me again. “I’ll catch you. Anytime I’m near.” She glances down at her wrist and then back up to me. I can feel her pulse racing, and then she steps to me. Her hands go back to my chest, and I take her face in mine. “I want to kiss you,” I tell her.
“Good, I want that, too, but ... we can’t be more than friends.”
I brush my thumb against her cheek. “I think we already are.”
Her lids lower slowly and then lift again. “We can’t.”
“Whatever you say.”
I incline my head to hers, moving slowly, tasting the moment and savoring it. She’s clearly hell-bent on keeping me at a distance, and that’s fine. I have plenty ofpatience.
Penelope lifts up on her toes as I move in to kiss her. I take a breath, resting our foreheads together, allowing her the time to back away if she wants to, but hoping she doesn’t. “Did you know that what we’re doing right now would be kissing if we were turtles?”
She lets out a soft laugh. “I didn’t.”
“If we were otters, we’d hold hands, and that would be their way of kissing,” I tell her, wanting her to be at ease.
Thankfully Penelope doesn’t move away. Again I move my thumb softly against her cheek. “I like the way humans do it best, though.”
She lifts her head, eyes meeting mine. “You do?”
I nod. “Do you want me to kiss you?”
Her head moves just the slightest amount. Penelope lifts up again, her eyes closed, hands on my chest, and she digs her fingers in just a touch, gripping my shirt. I pull her tight against me and press my lips to hers.
I stay still, absorbing the feel of her, drinking in the soft inhale she makes, and then her fingers loosen and she wraps her arms around my neck, molding her body against mine. I move deeper, kissing her just a little harder.
Her lips part and I take the cue, kissing her and sliding my tongue into her mouth. The wet heat is intoxicating. There’s a hint of tomato from when she licked her finger after tasting the sauce.
Each swipe of our tongues makes the kiss more intense. Penelope’s fingers move to my hair and she wraps them around the strands.
Moving us both, I anchor her against the island, and my hands move down to her back, pressing her tight against me.
I could kiss her forever. Do nothing for the rest of my life than this, and while I want nothing more than to strip her down right here and take her, I can’t.
I also need to stop before I do exactly that and fuck up any progress I’ve made.
Slowly, I temper the kiss, bringing it back down in intensity. Not wanting to break away from her completely, I go back to resting my forehead against hers. Her breathing is labored, and once she’s a little calmer, I lift my head to gaze at her.
She’s fucking gorgeous. Her eyes are lust filled and her lips a little swollen. I brush my thumb against them, wiping away some of the moisture. There’s a storm starting to brew in her gaze. I can see the regret or fear hovering over the desire.
I need to break the tension and make her laugh again. “I’m glad we’re not otters.”
Penelope giggles softly. “Me too.”
“But as a friend, I’m happy to hold your hand too.” I step back, releasing her, and wink. “Or any kind of kissing that you’d like to test.”
She shakes her head, laughing, and then lets out a long sigh. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
I hope she does.
thirteen
Penelope
