She takes them and holds them under her nose to inhale. “Thank you, Ben.”
I hold out my hand for her, and as she reaches for it, she stops and starts laughing.
I hold up my hand, fingers all covered in Band-Aids. “Not afraid to pick a few thorns off the roses, Kendall. And if I remember correctly, I told you to be careful, not me.”
“Well, you should be.” She grins.
“No way in hell.” I take her hand in mine and kiss the back of it.
We walk quietly down the sidewalk, hand in hand, rain trickling down around us.
“It was you.”
She nudges me. “You don’t believe in fairy tales.”
“I do now.”
“It was a long time ago.”
“Yeah, well, I’m gonna take a chance and guess it’s going to be a happily ever after.”
She shakes her head. “Don’t do that.”
In the distance, lightning lights up the sky. Moments later, thunder crashes around us.
I look over at her as she bites her lower lip, trying not to smile.
As rain begins to pour down around us, I hurry to a storefront with an awning and pull her under it. Then I close the umbrella and lean it against the shingled siding. “I’m gonna kiss you.”
She looks nervous as she swallows hard and licks her lips.
“I’ll be gentle.” Cupping her face, I rub my lips across hers and whisper, “This time.”
Kendall
My heart is racing. It’s beating even harder against my chest than it has been all day while wondering if he would even realize it was me who he had pulled the thorn from, not Tessa. Beating harder than it was when I was getting ready for a date with Ben Sawyer.
Closing my eyes, I inhale the scent of roses, the smell of the rain, and the smell of him. Earthy and a light cologne that reminds me of Alex’s favorite scent, Drakkar Noir. Familiar but unfamiliar.
He presses his lips harder against mine, slightly opened, and I follow his lead. When he then swipes his tongue slowly across them, I press mine against his, and his chest vibrates against mine. He tilts my head up as he rubs his tongue against mine, and I whimper.
He continues rubbing his tongue up and down mine, and I open my mouth farther, wanting and needing him to continue, tilting my head back so he can lick deeper.
Then, something happens, something that has never happened. Nerves are replaced by a heat, a feeling inside that almost makes me dizzy.
He licks inside my mouth while holding my head still. I realize my hand, the one not holding the flowers, is gripping his hip and pulling him closer to me.
He groans and removes his tongue from my mouth, pressing his lips against mine. “Sweet thing, Christ.”
When he steps back and presses his forehead to mine, I open my eyes and try to focus on his beautiful brown ones.
“You wanna keep this PG, we need a breather.”
I push up on my toes and kiss him.
Lips against mine, he chuckles. “We have plenty of time.”
“Mmmhmm,” I say against his lips.