Page 57 of Sweet Caroline
“Yeah, well…” She turns away and picks at the chipped paint on the windowsill. “Not for me, I guess.”
“Not yet.”
“Yeah, well, that’s not likely to change anytime soon.” When she finally looks at me again, her expression is cautious.
“I could help you.”
“What?” Her eyes widen. Appropriately. Because…
What in the impulsive sex blurt did I just offer?
“No, Miles, you’re already helping me plenty. I’m not gonna ask you to?—”
“Well, we’re already hanging out together.”
Cool, yeah, I guess I’m doubling down on this.
“And I don’t need pity sex.”
“Oh my God. Whoa.” I hold out my hands. “That’snotwhat I was offering.” When she doesn’t look convinced, I step closer and reach for her cheek, brushing my thumb over her soft skin. “Hey. I don’t pity you. I think you’re fucking beautiful. And sexy. If that kiss was anything to go by… I think it could be amazing between us.”
“Yeah?” Her eyes slip to my mouth.
“Yeah,” I say, shoving aside the awareness that I offered this a bit impulsively. That I might have just cranked up the intensity on our already-complicated situation. I scramble for logic. “I mean, we might as well have some fun while we’re pretending to date, right? And God, Caroline. Youneedto know what you’ve been missing. It’s a fucking crime that you’ve never felt…” I trail off, distracted by thoughts of everything I want her to feel. To experience. How much I’d love to help her discover that side of herself. To be the one to experience it all with her, if she wants me to. “Look. You’ve been putting yourself aside for a long-ass time, right?”
“Yeah…”
“Isn’t it time you did something that makesyoufeel good?”
She tilts her head. “And that something should be you?”
I huff out a laugh. “I, uh— well, that wasn’t exactly where I was going, but, uh, yes?” When she rolls her eyes, it only encourages me. “I meant like, making sureyoucome first.” I hear myself say it and wince. “Putting yourself first! But I’d make sure you came first, obviously?—”
“Miles?”
“Yeah?”
“Stop talking.”
“Yup.” I’m trying not to grin like a fool here.
A few beats pass as she considers me. When she speaks, her voice is quiet. “Can I tell you something?”
“Of course.”
“That kiss. Last weekend?” She bites her lip. “I kinda can’t stop thinking about it.”
Her confession releases something in my chest. The truth is, she isn’t the only one who hasn’t been able to forget it. “Me neither.”
“I know we got sort of carried away.” She looks up at me, almost shy. “But I’ve never been kissed like that before.”
Another fucking crime.
“It was agoodkiss,” I say.
“So good.” Her voice is barely a whisper.
“Can I tellyousomething?” I close the space between us.
