Page 94 of Kiss Me, Maybe

“Angela, get in the car,” she says again, but I’m shaking my head. I can’t stop staring at her. My jaw is aching from how hard I’m smiling. “What—”

I don’t overthink it this time. It’s hard to tell if I’m thinking at all, that’s how caught up I am in her. My hands cup Krystal’s cheeks, pulling her until our faces are centimeters apart. My lips press against hers, clumsy but sure. Her body tenses slightly with a shocked gasp before she melts into me, lips parting to return the kiss tenfold. I’m actually doing it. I’mkissingKrystal Ramirez, and it’s already the best thing I’ve ever done.

Her arms wrap around my back, pulling me into her body as her tongue sweeps inside my mouth. Despite the cold rain coming down hard on us, somehow she’s able to keep me warm. I let her lead the pace, and we find a steady rhythm as I repeat her motions back. A gentle suck on her bottom lip, a soft glide of my tongue against hers. It goes on and on and on until we remember to take a breath.

When we finally pull away from each other, she opens the door to the back seat of her car and practically pushes me inside. Once we’re tucked close together on the right and middle seats, she pulls down the left one, her body bending over to grab something from the back. She returns with the blanket we shared the first time she brought me here and wraps it around my shoulders. She uses the other end of it to pat my short hair dry.

“You don’t have to fuss over me,” I tell her, even as a sneeze chooses this exact moment to undermine me. She gives me a knowing look as she procures a small bottle of sanitizer from her purse, but there’s also something about her expression that’s familiar. Fond, even. She’s always taking care of me after I get myself into trouble.

“Thank you,” I say as she deposits a dime-sized amount of gel into my hands.

“No problem. I’m so sorry I’m late. I’d just made it to the McNay when I saw your last post. I wanted to surprise you by winning the scavenger hunt. Earn your first kiss the way you imagined back when you first came up with the idea.”

“Is that why you didn’t text me back?”

“It was a better idea in my head.” She looks away from me. “Instead, I made you wait out in the rain for me for who knows how long.”

“You still came. You showed up.”

She reaches out to push back the wet strands of hair stuck to my face, and then her hand is cupping my cheek, molding there perfectly like it’s right where it belongs, her skin surprisingly warm. “I knew you’d look hot with short hair.”

“Yeah?”

“Oh, yeah.” She sucks in a breath as I lean into her again. “I can’t believe you cut out early on your own scavenger hunt.”

“You’re more important,” I say. “You’re the woman I love, Krystal. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do to be with you.”

Her eyes soften at my admission. And then her smile is as wide as mine.

She lets out a sigh, so close I feel the heat of her breathon my lips. Her grip tightens on the blanket, cocooning me in warmth. As amazing as our first kiss was, I have a feeling it’s about to get even better now that we’re somewhere warm and dry. “This is what it’s going to be like with you, isn’t it? I’ll lose my mind over you every time I’m dragged into one of your harebrained schemes, and you’re going to relish every second, aren’t you?”

My grin comes full force.

“You have no idea.”

She kisses me, and fuck if it gets better every time. I pull her body in closer, wrapping my arms around her head until our chests crush together. I don’t know when I started straddling her lap, but she doesn’t seem to mind. Far from minding, an arm wraps around my back and settles me more securely against her.

“I love you too.” She smiles against my lips, setting my heart on fire. Her tongue runs along my bottom lip, coaxing my mouth open, demanding entrance. I let her in, let her take the lead, her hands holding my head in place. When her tongue touches mine for the second time, I forget how to think and breathe and be. Someone groans. I can’t tell if it’s her or me. It’s probably me.

I pull back slightly, not wanting to lose myself in her too fast. Her eyes flit open, as hazy and dreamy as I imagine mine are.Is this real? Is this really happening?

“It’s happening, Angel.” She answers my silent thoughts, or maybe I asked them out loud. I can’t tell anymore. She smiles against my lips. Then she kisses the side of my mouth, her lips trailing down my chin. “Was your first kiss everything you imagined?”

“I couldn’t have possibly imagined—” A gasp as her tongue slides against my jaw in a slow, indulgent lick. “Krystal.”

“Good, huh?” She’s so smug, I should hate her. She’s all gleaming eyes and taunting smile flashing white canines. Instead, all I want is for us to shut up so she can keep going.

“So this is what I’ve been missing out on, huh?” I muse on a sigh, running my fingernails gently down both her arms. She shivers from my touch the same way I’m shivering from hers.

“To think, we could’ve been doing this a lot sooner.”

She kisses me again, and it’s all I want to keep doing. It’s all I want to do for the rest of my life. Funny how I can already know this after the first time. Here with Krystal, in her car, rain pounding the metal above our heads, is the only place I’d rather be. That is, until Krystal asks:

“Do you wanna get out of here?”

“If by ‘get out of here’ you really mean…” I send her what I hope is my most suggestive look yet.

“If that’s what you want.” A hand dips beneath my damp, unbuttoned shirt to pull it off me. Once I’m just in my undershirt, she nips at my bare shoulder with her teeth. I hitch a breath, and her lips kiss away the sting. And then I remember—

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