Page 37 of Wish You Would

He arches a brow, setting the whiskey down on the counter next to him. “You and your questions.”

I shrug. “I’m curious about my boyfriend.”

A smirk toys at his lips. “Okay, fine. I’ve always wanted to go to Disneyland.”

“Disneyland?” I repeat, trying to suppress a laugh.

“Why do you look so surprised?”

“I don’t know. I guess I thought you’d say Hawaii or Mexico. Disneyland wasn’t even a blip on my radar.”

Holden’s cheeks pinken and I wonder if it’s the alcohol or the admission.

“You’ve never been?” I ask before cautiously taking a sip of my tea.

“My parents took me when I was eight and my brother was four. I don’t remember a thing. Then the accident happened, and my family never got on a plane again.”

I nod, his words tugging at my heart. I hate what they must have all gone through.

“Don’t look so sad, Bee,” he murmurs. “You’re too pretty to frown.”

“I’m not frowning,” I tell him, flashing him a grin, feeling the tension return to the space between us.

“See… now that’s better.” His gaze drops to my mouth. “Can I tell you what I’m thinking?”

“Yes.”

“I can’t forget about that kiss.”

I swallow carefully. “I thought I was the only one.”

“I’ve thought about it at least every five minutes of every day since I kissed you in the hallway. It stalks me in my dreams. I can’t get it off my mind.”

“While I was lying in your bed next to you?”

“Then too.”

“It was a great kiss,” I whisper right before he pushes off from the counter and steps towards me so there’s only a foot of distance between us. He takes the mug from my handsand sets it on the counter next to me. The butterflies in my stomach take flight.

Our eyes are pinned to one another’s, and I can see the need pooling in his. I want to reach for him and pull him into my arms, but I don’t. I nibble on my lower lip instead, gathering the courage to take this one step further even though I know I shouldn’t. “Can I tell you whatI’mthinking?”

A grin tips the corners of his mouth. “I’m all ears.”

“I wanna know why you walked over here.”

“Here?” he asks, closing the last bit of distance between us so that we’re almost touching.

I nod.

“I want to kiss you, Bee.”

His eyes are locked on mine, and there’s desire swirling in his green irises, the same emotion I feel in my chest.

Holden reaches for me, his hands moving to my waist, my hands moving to his muscular thighs. All I can think is how badly I want him to kiss me, to feel his mouth move against mine. But looking at Holden, there is a tiny voice that warns me I should stop this right now before it goes any further.

But then his hands thread through my hair as he leans in closer. “I’m going to kiss you—like really kiss you this time— and I’m going to make sure it is the best kiss of your life.”

His mouth parts before his lips softly brush over mine.Yes.

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