Page 33 of Fair Play
“This part is harder.”
“Yes.”
“We’ll start slowly, yeah? See if you can stop when you’re going slow and then ramp it up a little at a time.”
“Okay.”
We work on slowing and stopping for the next ten minutes, and while it’s trickier than I remember, it still feels like I’ve done it a million times before. Because I have. It just took a while to come back to me.
Now we’ve found our rhythm, skating hand-in-hand at a moderate pace, talking and laughing. Like it’s a real date instead of him doing me the world’s biggest favor.
And I’m having a great time.
I’d almost forgotten the feeling of being on skates. Wind in my hair, a feeling of freedom that’s unlike anything else.
Impulsively, I pull my hand away, pick up speed and then spin around so I’m the one going backward. Rome grins and matches my gait, easily keeping up, and I do a few turns—forward, backward, and forward again—without slowing down or stopping.
Until now.
I stop so abruptly Rome almost runs into me but I throw my arms around his neck and press my lips to his without even thinking about it.
“Thank you!” I whisper breathlessly. “This was absolutely incredible. I didn’t realize how much I’ve missed it—I’m having so much fun.”
His arms close around my waist and we’re pressed together. Much closer than when we were dancing.
“You’re very welcome. And I’m having fun too.”
Oh, that voice.
It’s going to be the end of me—in the best possible way.
“Are you going to kiss me?” I ask when his eyes zero in on my lips. “Please say yes.”
Chapter 12
Rome
Please say yes?
Is she for real right now?
There isn’t a force on earth that could make me refuse to kiss her.
I lower my head slowly, watching her lids flutter closed just as my lips touch hers. I kiss her softly, light nibbles to ease into what I know will become intense if I let it. But I don’t want to rush this—we’ll only have one first kiss. I don’t know if it’s one she’ll always remember but I will.
Her soft sigh as her lips part.
The way the fingers of one hand drift into the hair at the back of my neck, gently caressing.
A faint taste of cinnamon as the tip of her tongue comes out to meet mine.
The almost imperceptible moan as our mouths lock together and she presses those perfect tits against my torso.
Fuuuuck.
She’s sweet.
Way too sweet for a make out session in the middle of Venice Beach.
