Page 60 of Easy Out

I kiss her again. This time tasting the fruity lip balm coating her pouty lips. I pull gently at her bottom lip. Tracing the seam of her mouth with my tongue, I silently ask her to open for me.

Lauren tastes as sweet as I thought she would.

I can’t get enough of her.

She latches on to my forearm and the back of my neck. Her fingernails dig into my skin like tiny ice picks.

Looping a hand under her thigh, I lift her and pin her against the bookshelf. Lauren rakes her hands through my hair and over my chest. Her featherlight touch, mixed with the feel of her lips finally against mine, is almost too much for me to handle.

I pull her hair gently to get a better angle and deepen the kiss. Just for a moment. I just need two more seconds. However, time is irrelevant when we are joined together like this. Lauren is the first to finally break our connection. My forehead finds hers.

“Estoy feliz haberte esperado.” Lauren’s eyebrows furrow in confusion. “I said. I’m glad I waited for you.” Her head tilts, still appearing to be confused. “You were my first kiss too.”

Lauren barks a laugh before slapping her hand over her mouth, forgetting she is in a library. “You don’t have to lie to me to make me feel better.” She drops her legs to the ground and wrestles her way out of my arms.

“I’m not a mentiroso.”

Lauren swings her backpack over her arm and walks toward our table on the other side of the library.

I follow her like a little puppy dog.

“I’m sorry I find it hard to believe.”

“Why is that?” I toss my bag on the floor with a thud, startling Lauren. Sitting in my chair with my arms crossed over my chest, I wait for her to answer. This should be good.

Her face heats to a pretty shade of red. “You’re.” Her hands gesture in my general direction.

“Well, that explains everything,” I snark.

“You are the quintessential dream guy – tall, dark, and handsome.” I stare at Lauren making her squirm in her seat.

I like having her like this.

I also like knowing that I meet her dream guy requirements.

Grabbing the seat of her chair, I yank it until she’s positioned between my legs. Lauren squeaks in surprise.

“Dream guy?” Gripping the sides of her chair, I run a thumb up and down her outer thighs. Now that I’ve held her close, it’s like my body requires me to touch her.

I will never be the same now that I’ve had a taste.

“I didn’t say you were my dream guy.” Her words would hurt if she wasn’t trying to hide the blush on her cheeks behind a curtain of chestnut hair.

“I wasn’t always like this. In high school I…” I suck in a breath. The weight of Lauren’s hand on mine gives me the courage to continue. “I didn’t talk at all. It didn’t feel right trying to get with a girl I couldn’t even talk to.”

“Did you try? To talk to them?” I shake my head.

“Didn’t want to. I focused on baseball. My grades. I wanted to get a scholarship one way or the other.”

Lauren nods along with my explanation.

She stares at our connected hands for a beat.

“You wanted to talk to me?” I want to do a lot more than talking. Lauren isn’t ready to hear all the things I want to do to her. “I know you have to for the assignment.” Fuck the assignment. “But did you want to?”

"Sí." I can’t say more without laying all my cards on the table. I’m not ready to do that yet. “Why haven’t you kissed anyone?” I turn the tables on her.

“Boys tried.” I tighten my grip on her chair. Lauren chews on her fingernail. Her eyebrow starts twitching. She gives me a once over and seems to have resolved whatever conflict that was running through her head.

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