Wren fidgets with the hem of her sweater. She might not realize her pulling at the edge is tempting me to look at the gap between her lovely thighs, thinking about how they might feel wrapped around my hips, pulling me close. She shakes her head when she answers but does not look up at me. “Compared to the life I’ve lived, you’re the least scary person I’ve ever met.”
“Because I remind you of the dad you never had?”
She scoffs. “No, because you remind me of a human being.” Her eyes connect with mine, and they’re full of fire.
We stare at each other for a moment, each of us holding one end of this invisible rope. Which one of us is going to pull on it?
Turns out, the answer is neither.
We both simply let go, and everything comes together at once.
I lean down just as Wren steps close to me. Our lips meet in the middle. My hands cradle her face; hers clutch my arms. The softness of this first kiss pulls at every one of my heartstrings. Her full lips feather against mine, leave me wanting more. Pulling away from her, even for a moment, feels like a stab in my chest, but I have to regain control. Though her sweet taste remains on my lips, ending the kiss might be the hardest thing I’ve ever done.
She deadpans, “That’s one way to pass the time until we go to sleep.”
“I’m sorry,” I say stupidly, not able to think of anything else.
Her eyes narrow. “What are you sorry for? That was a good kiss.”
“Good?”
She smiles. “Yeah. It was nice.”
“That’s even worse.”
“Sam. You know you’re a good kisser, stop it.”
I puff my chest out in mock confidence. “You’re right; I am a good kisser.”
Wren playfully pinches the arm she’s holding. “Then why don’t you kiss me properly?”
I walk past her, my conscience getting the better of me, and I sit down on the edge of the bed. “I just like to take things slow. I don’t want to hurt you.”
She sits down next to me and takes my hand. I look down and see her running her small hand up the back of it, slowly smoothing her fingers up my forearm, tracing my veins and sinews. The fire inside me builds with every touch. “Sam. You’re not going to hurt me. For proof, would you like to see the size of my vibrator?”
“Wren. God, no. That’s not what I meant.”
She giggles and it’s all I can do to keep from laying her flat on her back and covering her body with mine.
“Does me talking about my vibrator make you uncomfortable?”
I sigh. “What I meant was, if things go too far, I could end up hurting your feelings. Or vice versa. I’m not good at relationships.”
Wren pulls her legs up to rest her chin on her knees and wraps her arms around her ankles, making herself resemble a little bird even more. An especially rare one, with wide, violet eyes and shiny, silvery-lavender hair. “What happened to you, Sam? What did you do to yourself to make you think you can’t enjoy life? How long are you gonna beat yourself up for calling off a wedding?”
I look down at my hands. “I broke her heart. It’s what I deserve.”
Wren’s toe nudges my leg. “You would’ve broken her heart worse eventually if you’d gone through with the wedding, though, right?”
“I don’t know,” I grit out. I don’t want to talk about this anymore.
My eyes study the backs of my hands, which hang limply between my knees, my elbows resting on my thighs. “What do I have to do to shut you up so I can go to sleep?”
“Kiss me again.” Her hand grips my arm and my breathing becomes shallow.
“No, ma’am.”
“Why not?”