Page 50 of Harper's Holiday Romance
Julia smized. “Yes.”
It was enough to turn me on. I liked well moisturised humans. A little self-care went a long way.
Julia’s lips were so close to mine. My whole chest was about to implode from the weight of my feelings. I hadn’t kissed a girl in a long time. I was petrified of making a fool of myself. It’s the reason I didn’t go on dates. I watched Julia’s lips part. The cute freckles around her mouth were visible up close, and the small indent on her right nostril indicated a previous piercing. She was beautiful.
I closed my eyes right before I felt the warmth of her lips on mine. The tingling anticipation coursed through my veins. It felt electric. Every goosebump. Every shiver. I felt every single sensation as her tongue searched for mine. The kiss was gentle and delicate as we explored each other.
It was nothing like my most recent kisses. A first kiss for me had always been frantic and messy but not with Julia. No, she took her time. I manoeuvred my head to the right, which allowed the kiss to deepen. I traced my fingers down the length of Julia’s taut arm that was eagerly pulling the nape of my neck into the kiss.
I could feel my chest burning, and the clenching sensation of my lungs as I struggled to regulate my breathing. My brain released a chemical cocktail that far outmatched what any alcohol could replicate. This woman, who I wrongly accused of being the devil in disguise was anything but that. She was sexy, confident, endearing, intriguing, and all theings. That wasn’t the crazy part. The main reason I was on the verge of hyperventilating was—she was kissingme, and she was good at kissingme.
I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. The vibration was nearly as powerful as the current running through my body; it was causing every last hair to stand on end. Julia retreated slightly, letting her teeth linger on my bottom lip as she pulled back.
I wasn’t ready to reminisce about what she tasted like; the real thing was too damn good. Billie and Sarah would just have to wait.
9
The next day was Wednesday. There was no normal midweek hump day because this wasn’t a typical working week. It wasn’t a typical holiday week either. The muscles in my cheeks were still hurting from a full two-hour debrief that morning. Billie and Sarah teased me until I slumped back on the bed exhausted.
When Billie started to refer to me as,Harpedo Foxy Smooch,I knew it was time to swap the confined oxygen deficient bedroom for the open air and more importantly the pool. A brief conversation with my mum confirmed that Lady and Gaga were both doing fine. I missed my animals. Mum was under strict instructions to send a minimum of three photos per day.
My heart exploded with joy whenever I saw Julia’s name light up my phone. Who did I think I was? Kissing a woman on holiday like it was 2014, and I was fresh out of adolescence and snogging my way through Magaluf. I did that once in my pre-gay phase when I thought kissing boys was the “cool” thing to do. Urgh.
The kiss with Julia was more sensual than I expected it to be. It was the best first kiss I’d ever experienced. Ever. Which sounded more dramatic than it was. I’d kissed a total of eight people in my life, maybe ten if I included the game of truth or dare at Sarah’s first engagement party. The kisses lasted longer than Sarah’s engagement, so maybethey did count.
It was the only time I’d chosen dare and allowed myself to live a little. I’d needed five margaritas’ worth of encouragement. Alcohol fuelled me exuded a different kind of confidence, and everyone seemed to like having intoxicated me at a party. Sober I was one household spillage away from combustion.
Julia always seemed to be doing something. If she wasn’t on an excursion, she was doing some form of physical activity. That morning she was playing at the local golf course with her dad.
Julia
We should play?
Me
Erm . . .
Julia
It’s fun.
Me
For who?
Julia
You can drive the golf cart?
Me
Now we’re talking . . .
Julia
You get to see me wear super tight shorts.
Me
