“You won’t need to go anymore,” hesaid.
“I don’t have a car. I might need a ride somewhere, but I promise not to call him to ask for a ride.” If he called me to talk…well…I might not hang up on him. Not now that he had me a little curious about him. If he even could, with this new number I knew they would insiston.
“Goddammit!” He slammed both palms down on the steeringwheel.
I jumped. “Why are youyelling?”
“I’m just irritated,” he growled, twisting back. His eyes zeroed in on my lips again, his lids lowering. “You drive meinsane.”
“How doI–”
My words were cut off when his hands grabbed my arms, jerked me forward, and he kissed me. I was so stunned at first that I just let it happen. Then his lips moved over mine, soft and sweet. He traced my lower lip with his tongue, and I jerked away when I felt something hard touch me. He had a bar through his tongue that I had never noticed before. He pulled me back in and this time I let myself kiss himback.
His hand grazed my side, sliding to my back as I pressed into him, opening my mouth. When did my seatbelt come undone? Had it been him or me? It didn’t matter because I followed his lead, shivering as my shirt slid up slightly and his warm palm touched my bare skin. Everywhere he touched, goosebumps jumped to meethim.
I had never been kissed before. Had never even been on a real date. He was my first in this way. I closed my eyes and reached up, my fingers tugging on the loose ponytail of his hair, pulling out the band that held it all back. I grabbed hold and held on as he crushed his lips harder against mine, like he couldn’t get enough, like he wanted to breathe me in, consume me. I trembled under hisheat.
Bellamy’s hands squeezed me harder, hauling me closer, until I was almost straddling the console. It should have been uncomfortable with my head tilted to meet his, but I hardly noticed as I ran my hands through his hair and licked at his lips too. He groaned before he pulled away and rested his forehead against mine. We were both breathing hard. I couldn’t believe he had kissed me. I couldn’t believe I had kissed him back. It was startling and my mind reeled, my eyes glued to the lips that had – moments before – been attached to mine. He had kissed me like he needed to breathe. It felt like he had stolen the oxygen straight from mylungs.
“If you need a ride, you call me,” he rasped. “If you can’t reach me, you call one of the guys.” I shook, trying to hold myself over him. “Promiseme.”
I swallowed and nodded. “Ipromise.”
“Okay.” He blinked and kissed me once more, hard, and close-mouthed, before urging me back into my seat. “Now, put your seatbelt on.” I did as he said, my hands shaking as I pulled the seatbelt over my chest and buckled in. Bellamy lowered the emergency brake and turned the ignition, pulling back onto theroad.
Touching my lips with the tips of my fingers, I stared out the windshield and asked myself, ‘what justhappened?’