Page 6 of If You Never Come Back
He peers down at me. “You okay?”
Once again, I’m wide-eyed and speechless, all because of that killer stare. I hum “yes” through a breath.
“Sorry,” he says. “The men’s bathroom was occupied. I already broke the seal and couldn’t wait. You know how it goes.”
Again I nod, this time my eyes on his lips. So thick and full. I’d give back that fifty-dollar tip for a single bite of that pouty mouth. Clenching my fists, I breathe, somehow keeping my mouth and teeth to myself.
Even through the thick denim of my black skinny jeans, the heat of his touch—his hands on my hips—burns. A hot, delicious burn. Like slowly lowering myself into steamy bathwater.
“Thanks for, um, catching me.” I frown up at him, then am immediately distracted by the way his stubbled Adam’s apple moves when he swallows. It’s another second before I can speak. “I didn’t mean to barge in, I—I forgot to check the door, I usually do, I just…”
One corner of his mouth makes that slow journey upward to form a half-smile. “It’s okay. Seems like a fitting way to end the evening. Your hand on my face a few minutes ago. You in my arms right now.”
The other corner of his mouth curves up, and full-fledged invisible flames consume me. It’s decided. Wes is the champion of sexy smiles. He’s got the half-smile and the grin in the bag. I’d kill to see a smirk and one with a lip bite.
“I like the way your hands feel on me,” he says.
With those words plus his touch and that smile, I’m emboldened. “How about my lips, too?”
When he nods, I press my mouth to his. It’s a slow, tentative contact at first. As hot and bothered as I am after endless months of zero kisses, I don’t want to drown the poor guy with desperate licks and sucking noises. I set the tone at gentle, nibbling his bottom lip. Another light press of my mouth on his. Then I slide my tongue.
Wes seems to appreciate my measured style because his lips stretch against my mouth in a slow smile. We lick and taste and tease until we’re barely able to keep up with the ragged rhythm we’ve set. When he pulls away, we’re both clutching onto the other, gasping for breath.
I rest my forehead against his, staring down at his flannel-clad chest as it heaves up and down. I was mistaken. That slap was just an appetizer. This crazy random, crazy hot kiss in the open doorway of this bar bathroom is what slingshots this Valentine’s Day into unforgettable territory. I will never, ever forget this evening when I delivered my first sexy slap, followed by the hottest first kiss I’ve ever experienced in my life.
“Mmm, Shay…” Wes’s gravelly rumble sends electric shocks to my knees. I can barely stand, but it doesn’t matter. He’s still got me by the waist, propping me up. “Do you—”
“Wes! Where you at, man?”
We both turn our heads in the direction of the booming voice coming from down the hall where we can’t see.
“Just uh, gimme a sec, alright?” Wes booms back.
“This is a bar crawl, bro. Chop chop.” The voice fades.
We lean away from each other. Wes runs a hand through his wavy hair while I struggle to straighten my hot pink blouse.
“I’m sorry. I…I have to go.”
I nod. “Yeah. You should, um, go.”
Wes walks out of the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. I lean over the sink and splash icy water against my cheeks, that slap and that kiss looping nonstop inside my head.
Chapter Two
Remy closes out the register while I wipe down the bar top.“We did it, cuz! A V-Day for the record books. Can you believe we were that busy?”
“Yeah. Great.”
Three hours after Wes left me in a post-kiss tizzy in the women’s bathroom and I’m still trapped in a fog of heat and steam. Thinking and speaking are currently off the table until I regain my bearings.
Remy frowns at me. He runs a hand through his short, dark brown hair. “Everything okay with you?”
“Yes. Fine.”
He crosses his arms, eyes narrow. “Try again.”
I sigh. “Okay, you know that guy you talked me into slapping?”
