Page 66 of One Little Kiss
Is that whatshewants?
I shake my head as I pull up to her house and let out a sharp exhale. I meet my own gaze in the rearview mirror. “Stop being an idiot.”
My reflection stares back at me unimpressed.
Noelle’s mom answers the door, and judging by the weird way she’s acting, I’d say she knows what’s up. Or at least, she knows enough.
Based on what I know of Noelle’s relationship with her mom, she doesn’t understand the full story, or even most of it.
“Where are you heading tonight?” she asks as she leads the way into the family room.
“Alexander’s.”
“Ooh, the new restaurant that opened in Haverfield?” Her eyes round with pleasure.
Well, at least I’ve managed to impress Noelle’s mom.
Her mom starts talking a mile a minute about the reviews she’s read and what some friend of hers said about the new upscale restaurant two towns over. I can barely hear her over the loud thumping of my heart.
First, because of nerves. Then, because…I see her.
Noelle glides down the staircase behind her mom, and I’m speechless at the sight of her.
I’ve seen her countless times in my life, looking insanely hot in gowns, swimsuits, and just her everyday clothes. But I’ve never seen her like this.
Her hair’s blown out to supermodel perfection and she’s wearing a slinky black dress.
I’ve seen her in that dress….sprawled out on my bed.
I’m choking on my tongue by the time she reaches the ground floor and her gaze meets mine. She’s wearing makeup—which isn’t rare—but she’s never gotten so glammed up for my benefit, and I’m weirdly…humbled.
I’m also still speechless, which makes our initial greeting instantly awkward.
You look amazing, is what I should say.
Gorgeous, I should add with a charming grin.
I know the words to say, and I even know the expressions and inflections to make her smile and maybe even blush…
But what do I do? I stand there like a moron. Silent and tongue-tied until her mom all but shoves us out the door.
I hurry ahead to open the car door for her and she mumbles a thanks as she slips into my car, but she doesn’t meet my gaze.
As I walk around to my side, I can’t shake this feeling that I’ve failed already. Our first meetup as something other than friends and I botched it.
I take a deep breath before getting into the car. She doesn’t look my way. She seems intent on smoothing out some non-existent wrinkle in the miniscule skirt that covers only the very top of her thighs.
Holy crap, her thighs. Her legs.
There is not enough air in the car for the rush of heat that sweeps over me. Out of habit I go to push this awareness aside. I try to think of anything other than the fact that the most beautiful girl in the world is sitting beside me.
On a date.
With me.
I clench the steering wheel just as Noelle finally speaks. “Is this okay?” She gestures to her dress. “You said we were going out for dinner but I didn’t know…”
“It’s perfect,” I say.
