Page 21 of The One Who Got Away
“Yeah? Maybe me?”
I dug deeper and finally found my keys. “Why would I?”
He stepped in my space and slid an arm around me. “A few reasons.”
My breath stalled in my chest. I struggled back. “Are you playing with me?”
His arms went iron strong. “Not in the least.”
“Why now?” My heart went haywire. Could he hear it?
I wanted to drag the words back because maybe it was better not to know.
Instead, I went on my toes and connected with his mouth. I didn’t want excuses or recriminations right then.
His other arm rose and his fingers cupped the back of my head as he turned me just right and dove in. I hummed into his mouth. Best friends didn’t kiss like this.
A line from Bridget Jones swirled in my head.“Nice boys don’t kiss like that.”
And then there was no thinking.
He kissed me like there was no air in this world other than the kind in my lungs. He held me so damn tight that I had problems making new oxygen. But who needed oxygen when a man kissed like this? When Gus kissed like this…
I stopped sagging there like a hung fish and curled one arm around his neck, and gripped his belt with my free hand. He smelled like sunshine and that foresty aftershave he wore. He tasted like Dr. Pepper and home.
It was enough to make me step back.
Instead, he pulled me in again. “Not done,” he said against my mouth.
Then he emptied my brain right there on the alleyway near Hope Street.
Where anyone could see us.
By the time he lifted his head, I was literally humming.
I slowly opened my eyes—afraid it was all a wild daydream. He was grinning down at me with that crooked smirk. I smoothed my fingers up from his belt to his chest. “Hi.”
“Hi.” He brushed his nose along mine. “Have anywhere to be?”
I licked my lips. My mom was expecting me. I had half a dozen texts asking when I was off shift even though she knew my schedule. She knew where I was every minute of the day. “No.”
Guilt swallowed me directly after.
She needed me.
“What?” He tucked his fingers into my back pocket making my body hum.
I sighed. “I should check with my mom.”
His dimple winked. “Okay if I come?”
“You sure you’re ready for that? Things have been...” Suffocating. Overwhelming. Tissue boxes over-runeth sad.
“Sure. How about we pick up a pizza?”
“You don’t really want to hang with my mother.”
“I want to hang with you. Melody is part of the deal. I’m good with that.” He stepped back, slipping his hand around mine like it belonged there forever.
