Page 25 of Only This Once
The kiss started as a simple slide of lips. He worried about his lips being too dry, but hers were soft and moist. Her hand continued to cup his jaw, that pinky of hers twitching and making him want to writhe in place, but he held himself still.
“Relax,” she breathed against his lips before pressing their mouths together again. Small repeated presses that made his lips want to chase hers, to hold her to him.
Her lips curved in a smile, and for some reason she tasted of strawberries. She leaned into him more, their breaths mingling. Her other hand lifted to his jaw until she cupped both sides of his face, holding him still.
“Mmmm.” Her sexy hum vibrated against his lips. “You taste of sunshine and coconut. Delicious.” She kissed him again, a tingling press, then a withdraw that made him want to whimper, followed by another press.
His hand lifted, wanting to touch her, and he tentatively cupped the back of her head, his fingers sinking into her short cap of hair.
“That’s it. You can touch me.” Her breath against him made his lips even more sensitive.
She kissed him longer this time, her lips tracing over his, as if mapping every part of them. Everywhere they touched tingled, sensation slipping inside him and spreading from those small points of contact.
When she started to withdraw, he didn’t want that. He wanted her closer. He used his grip on her head to bring her back. Her sudden giggle was bright. She leaned into him, her lips pressing harder.
His head reeled, and he fell back to the grass.
Julia followed him down, but kept her weight off him, only touching him with her lips. He breathed in more of that strawberry flavor as their mouths slid together, over and over again, so many times that he lost count. All he could do was feel.
An ache built in his groin, and he froze, his eyes opening to find the emerald of hers so close, her face blocking out the sun.
She gave him one more soft brush of lips before lifting her head with a smile. “Well, that didn’t suck. How was it for you?”
He made a choked whimper, releasing his hold on her like she’d burned him.
Julia stroked his jaw once more before releasing him and sitting back.
Jesse pushed himself up, refusing to stare at his lap. He only had a partial erection. It would go away. Nerves twisted in his stomach.
Her smile faded a little. “You okay, Jinx?”
“I—” He licked his lips, tasting strawberry and wanting to kiss her all over again. “I can’t think.”
Her lips curved again as she laughed. “See? Chemistry. We definitely have it.”
That didn’t sound like a one-sided thing. Julia had liked kissing him, too. No, that couldn’t be right. He was deluding himself.
“Don’t look so nervous. I told you, we don’t have to decide anything right now.” She buffed his arm, as if trying to make him feel better. “But Jinx? That kiss?”
She waited until he reluctantly lifted his eyes to hers, and he braced himself to hear the truth. Julia always told the truth.
“That kiss was really good for me.” Her eyes were like a prison, one he never wanted to escape. “I think it was good for you, too.”
He flushed, his tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth and unable to move. That was for the best. Stammering and begging would be the opposite of sexy.
Julia searched his face, and her smile widened at whatever she saw there. Likely shock and awe. This couldn’t really be happening.
“But remember.” Her hand stretched toward him, pushing back the still damp curl that had flopped onto his forehead. “No falling in love with me.”
His stomach dropped. He wondered what she’d say if he told her it was too late for that. He’d loved her for forever, and he doubted it would ever go away.
“I’ll grab our shoes,” she said, rising. “We should head back.”
He watched her as he tried to get his mind to focus. Being with her, even just sitting here by the water, or during their walk through the woods, felt right. The kiss had felt more than right.
None of that mattered, though. Everything he’d ever wanted was right in front of him, but he loved her too much to take it. He couldn’t do that to her. It would be wrong.
Jesse told himself to tell her the whole truth as they made their way to his Jeep and during the drive back to his mother’s house. After her offer, he had to tell her the last of it, but he’d never said the words out loud before, and they already sounded so horrible in his head.
