Page 32 of Dryad, Try Again
“I think it took us long enough.” With those words, he’s pulled me back in. His mouth caresses mine, and when his tongue licks my lip, I happily oblige. He plunders my mouth with his tongue, and I gradually kiss him back. My hands explore his hair and down his muscly back, while his palms do the same. We alternate between slow gentle lips and heated exploring of the other person’s mouth. Tanner’s kissing technique is indescribable.
I’ve made out a few times before, but I’ve never felt wanted, needed, yearned for. Tanner kisses me like I’m the air he needs to survive.
When I pull off, something else tickles my face. We look up, and in the lamp light, there’s a spectacle to behold: the dogwood is blooming right before our eyes. Flower petals fall on us as the buds bloom, making way for green leaves. We’re whited out in a blizzard made of flora. The whites and pinks of dogwood petals frame Tanner in an angelic glow.
“That’s amazing,” he says breathlessly, gazing up. “You did that?”
When he looks back at me, I shake my head. “No. You did.” And it’s true; even in this form, I can feel the joy in the flowery branches above us. I guess kissing Tanner was so satisfying the entire forest felt it. This was a round of applause for us.
I lean in and kiss him again, then pull back. “Was that corny?” I ask.
“A little.” We both crack up, never breaking apart. His hands remain on my shoulders, and I lean in to kiss him more, nibbling on his lips, and tasting his tongue. “But it was perfect.”
“Worth the wait?”
“More like overdue, Kovi.”
He nuzzles my nose in the darkness and touches my forehead to his. We stay that close as petals and leaves rain down around us, and I never want to let this moment go.
14
TANNER
“Okay, so how do I look?”I do a little spin in the lobby of the Student Union. Humans and monsters meander about, hopefully not paying me any mind. I feel a little silly, but I’m desperate for input.
“You’re interrupting our movie night,” Owen states while munching popcorn.
I roll my eyes—I shouldn’t have expected Owen to be some fashion guru. Rachel and Shonda walk through the main entrance and stop, gaping at me in awe.
“Tanner!” Shonda nearly squeals.
“You look great,” Rachel adds.
“Really?” I spin around again and look down. I’m wearing a vertically-striped orange button-down over tight ripped blue jeans. I sniff my pits. “Do I smell okay?”
“You smell fine, but can we go to the movie now?” Owen asks, still munching away.
Shonda dismissively waves him off. “You look and smell terrific.”
“You don’t think it’s too much?”
“It’s never too much to impress on a first date,” Rachel remarks.
“Aw, I’m so excited for you!” Shonda leans in to hug me.
“Don’t get my hopes up too high now.” I laugh nervously, but yes, the hopes are way high. This is Kovi, we’re talking about. The boy I used to play with as kids is all grown up, and he’s sweet, generous, and sexy. Sure, he hurt me by accident, but I’m moving past that.
“You tell us everything tomorrow,” Shonda implores.
“Yes, Kovi will totally be impressed, but theX-Menmovie awaits us,” Owen says impatiently.
“You’re living your own romance novel tonight, man.” Rachel winks at me.
“Good luck!” Shonda crosses her fingers and grins while Owen ushers them into the Student Union classroom. On weekend nights, the school hosts movies on campus, but tonight, I have other plans.
I pat down my hair, but before I head out, Owen reappears in front of me.
“Uh…”
