Page 23 of Hers to Kiss
Chapter 8
Pete placed another heavy box of supplies aside and wiped the sweat from his brow. He had no clue where his father had put the box of new life jackets. They had plenty for the kids to use, but his father still wanted a few extra handy, in case any of the jackets had faulty straps.
He’d been sweltering in the shed for well over ten minutes. The box wasn’t marked well, or there were just too many boxes in here. His father was definitely wrong about the box being in the office, where it would be easily accessible.
“Finally. This is where you’ve been?”
He didn’t have to turn around. Keke’s accusatory voice hit him in the back.
“Looking for life jackets.”
“Well, this is a perfect time to do lesson two.”
“Lesson two?” Pete slid his forearm across his forehead again and turned around. He saw Keke’s eyes widen slightly and then return to normal. What was she looking at? He was a mess. Dust smudges were all over the front of his shirt—thanks to the boxes—and he was sweating like a pig.
Keke marched forward and raked her hand through the mass of hair that had fallen over his forehead. Her fingers lingered as they softly wove their way through his hair and around the curve of his right ear. He’d never known how sensitive that area of his body was. Heat shot from his head all the way down to his feet.
Her nearness made his heart skip a beat. Then another. Her soft perfume enveloped him, and he inhaled deeply. Brown eyes were veiled as usual, but he could see the rapid rise and fall of her chest. Was she as affected as him?
“Uh…”
Oh, so now he couldn’t form words?
She cleared her throat and squared her shoulders. Whatever she was feeling, she fought it hard. “Girls like it when you place their hair behind their ears. It’s like you’re helping them look their best. Making their faces more prominent.”
She held his gaze, and he’d never felt more confident.
“And you have to make sure you’re staring deep into their eyes…like this,” she whispered. She swayed slightly toward him. “It makes them feel like they’re being seen for the first time…”
Her voice trailed off. Pete watched the color of her eyes lighten slightly. Her brows inched toward each other. He wondered what concerned her. Did it have something to do with where she’d been this morning? As he made his way to the bathroom, he had watched her car peel out of camp. She hadn’t seen him try to wave her down.
“Like this?” he asked gruffly.
Two curly locks of brown hair framed her face. He reached both hands up. Might as well practice both hands. The pads of his fingers lightly brushed her cheeks as he guided the locks back and around her ears. He let his fingers linger at the space beneath her earlobes.
Keke inhaled sharply.
She was sensitive there as well.
Her mouth remained open, and she quietly panted. Their gazes remained locked. Feeling bold, Pete took a step forward, keeping his fingers at the base of her ears. Still, the only thing moving was Keke’s chest, now much higher than before, threatening to rip his gaze away from her eyes.
He thought about moving his hands to cup her face. Thought about gently pulling her into his arms. He’d seen it done in plenty of action flicks by the confident hero. She’d come willingly, wrapping her arms around his waist while his lips took hers.
He could see it in his mind’s eye. Hear her soft moan of delight. Taste the flavor of the light reddish-brown gloss on her lips. Cinnamon? Or would it be a berry mix?
His hands cupped her head. Her eyes went wide. As he took another step forward, she wrenched free and stumbled backward over a box.
“Keighly!”
“Ow!”
Pete rushed forward. “Are you okay? Let me help.”
She swatted at his hands. “You were supposed to lightly touch. Not grab my head.”
“I didn’t…”
He blew out a breath of frustration. He should’ve stopped when her eyes practically bugged out of her head. Clearly, being kissed by her best friend’s nerdy brother would be detestable.
