Page 80 of Here's to Yesterday

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“You sureyou don’t mind if I take off?” Hudsonasks.

Rae called to tell him Joey was out for the night, and well, when your eight-year-old kid is asleep for the night, you fuckin’ take advantage ofit.

“Nah. Have fun,” I say, wiggling my eyebrows athim.

He narrows his eyes. “Want that other eye tomatch?”

“Youwouldn’t.”

“It’s cute that you think that, Tuck,” he says, clapping me on the back as he throws down cash and heads toward thedoor.

I shake my head as my best friend goes off to get him a littleaction.

After about another ten minutes of sitting around and not seeing Maura, I figure it’s time to head out before I start looking desperate. Ormoredesperate.Whatever.

As I’m about to push open the final door, a small voice speaks up from besideme.

“Did you think you could sneak off without sayinggoodbye?”

“I was hoping not to.” I grin and then press my luck for the night. “Think I could maybe snag a goodbyekiss?”

She takes a moment before answering. “Only because we’re kissingfriends.”

That’s all it takes. I spin toward Maura and grasp her small face between my hands, tilting it up toward mine. A soft moan leaves her lips as I crash mine to hers. They’re so soft, like satin, and they taste like heaven. There’s no other way to describe how much I love kissing her. It’s euphoric and mesmerizing and addictive.Everything.

Kissing her iseverything.

A touch to the lips is all it takes, and then our tongues are meeting in a slow, sensual duel. All we do is hold on to one another and kiss. No groping or pulling at one another’s clothes. Nothing. Simplykissing.

But that doesn’t mean I don’t want more, because I do. I don’t want to get too carried away, since wearetechnically still in her place of work, and sheisstill on the clock. Ithink.

“Wow,” she says breathlessly as I pull back from thekiss.

“You offalready?”

She shrugs. “Do you want me to beoff?”

“Yes?”

“I love that that’s a question, but yes, I amoff.”

My heart leaps into my throat, and my mouth goes dry, because I’m suddenly nervous. Do I ask her to stay the night again? Is that moving too fast? Friends stay over at each other’s houses, right?Maybe as middle schoolers, you idiot. Maybe I should ask her to come hang out. Is that creepy? Too high school? Why am I thinking about this somuch?

“I can tell you’re struggling. Yes, Tuck. I’d love to hang out withyou.”

I expel a relieved breath. “Cool.”

Cool? Are you fucking thirteen again,jackass?

She gives me a teasing smile and says, “Cool.”

I step back and hold my hand out to her. She takes it, and all those nerves I was feeling evaporate immediately because being with her doesthat.

Everything with Maura is invariablyright.

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