Page 45 of The Overdue Kiss

No rush, but I’m outside.

Grabbing Mami’s gift now. Do you have your backpack’s backpack?

Yep. Just missing you.

Uh, I mean you not being out here yet, not that I miss you.

Not that I haven’t missed you since last night. I always look forward to seeing you again.

Lol! Des. I knew what you meant.

Please hurry before I say something else.

I’m grinning so much my cheeks ache as I walk outside to him staring at his phone, waiting for my response.

Look up.

His helmet swivels until it finds me, locking onto me like a laser beam as I approach his rumbling bike.

“Miss me, did you?” I say with a laugh.

“Well, it’s not a lie. The question is, did you miss me?”

My cheeks warm, not expecting the question to bounce back to me.

“I do like hanging out with you . . . so . . . yes.”

He flips up his visor, revealing his eyes wide in disbelief. “Maya.First you admit to ogling me and now this? I’m shocked. It’s like you can’t get enough of me.”

“¡Ay! You tricked me.” I laugh and shove playfully at his shoulder.

“Hey, now. Don’t abuse the driver.”

“Aww.” I rub his shoulder in mock sympathy. “Did I hit you too hard? Need me to kiss it and make it better?”

He sucks in a breath and responds with a deep and gravelly “yes” that surges through me.

The silliness of the moment is replaced with longing, his silver eyes almost metallic as they drop to my lips.

My mouth parts on a sigh, tingling from the rush of blood. The urge to close the gap between us has me swaying a step forward, and images of his lips on mine play on a loop in my head.

Des.I want him even though I know I shouldn’t.

But I owe it to him and to myself to not just rush across the line of friendship into something more because of the toe-curling attraction between us. I want to be sure this time.Be patient.

I don’t want what happened between me and Felipe to repeat itself.

Opening and closing my mouth, I try to think how to best word the turbulent thoughts swirling though me. But Des beats me to the punch.

“I know. It was too fast.”

“Yeah.”

“It’s okay to tell me that.”

Nodding, I glance away, still embarrassed by my reaction. I inhale some deep, cleansing breaths as I stuff the gift bag into the backpack and zip it up. The outer casing reminds me of a turtle shell, and I awkwardly shrug it over my shoulders before placing the spare helmet over my head and snapping it on.

“Ready?” he asks, his voice still deep.

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