Page 66 of New York Love Stories: Vol. 2

Her chest rises and falls as she looks at me to say something or make the next move. I tilt my head, resting my forehead against hers as our jagged breathing evens.

Closing her eyes, she whispers, “No take backs.”

I chuckle between us, angling back far enough to take her in. When her eyes open, I reply, “Never.”

Her gaze shifts away, and I hate that anything but a smile resides on her face.

Don’t read too much into it, Wellington. Keep perspective. It may not have been more than a kiss to her.

I cup her cheek and run my thumb over her soft skin. “What are you thinking?”

Her body language reveals her walls are down, a comfort even now that we’ve strayed outside the lines of our friendship. Taking my hand and holding it between hers, she keeps her eyes trained on the bond between us. “Have you thought about kissing me before, or is this the bourbon talking?” Glancing up briefly, she adds, “I’ve had a lot of wine, and I’m not sure how much you’ve drunk.”

I weigh my options, knowing so much depends on how I answer. I could hide behind the alcohol, but I don’t want to. Tilting her chin until I can see the blues of her pretty eyes again, I go with the truth. “I think about you all the time, Tealey.”

“Why haven’t you been on any dates lately?” she asks, gripping the front of my shirt.

“Lately?” I scratch the back of my neck. “Hm.”Why haven’t I?I could list so many things, like how she talks with her hands when she’s excited to how I work through lunch so I can rush home to be with her before the golden hour disappears. That she uses my lemon squeezer and then asks me to use my strength to get the last drop from the fruit squeezed into her water. How she touched me after the move, and I can still feel the ghost of her fingers grazing across my skin. But what made me forget about being with anyone else was when I realized that Mr. Meisler was right.

Sometimes, I catch Tealey looking at me like I’m that sugar cookie she stole earlier, and she just wants to take a bite.So fucking hot.

Not to mention when the light hits her eyes and—call me a narcissist, but I like to think they sparkle just for me. And those lips, fuck, I’ve dreamed about kissing those pink lips. As a matter of fact, I want to kiss them again.

I shift again, hoping she can’t seeor feelwhat she does to me. Or maybe she needs to so she understands exactly why I’m not returning any of the texts or calls I’m receiving from other women.

Nothing like going with the truth . . . “You want to know why I haven’t been on any dates lately?” She nods, her body still as I rest my hand over her heart. It’s fast and steady, matching mine. “Because in so many ways, I’m already dating you. We’ve been pretending we’re not, but I think you feel this connection as much as I do.”

“Friends can spend time together and not be dating.”

“That’s not the case when it comes to you and me. Not anymore.”Fuck.What the hell am I doing? Running my hand through my hair, the thought of ruining everything we’ve become has me on edge. “I didn’t come to the Hamptons thinking this would happen or that I’d be telling you any of this.”

She says, “But we’re here and . . .” Reaching for my hand, she holds it between both of hers. “I’ve been happier spending time with you than I have been in years. I thought I was wrong for feeling this way, to think about kissing you and the possibility of what could happen after that, like I shouldn’t be enjoying our time together so much. I already told myself I can blame the wine tomorrow. Tonight, though, I’m glad I can finally tell you how I’m feeling inside.”

“How do you feel?”

“I feel if we kiss again, we might not be able to bejustfriends.”

I look at her. Really look at this beautiful woman. Her hair lies in thin cables of soft waves against her small shoulders. Herlips are plush like the softest cotton and have a slight swell since they left mine. Even the thin sweater she’s wearing can’t hide the gentle slope of her breasts. But it’s the way she looks at me, seeing me as the man I want to be, the one who could deserve someone like her, that gives me the most hope. “I don’t think we’ve beenjust friendssince the day we met, Tealey.”

The revelation shimmers in her eyes as she pieces my confession together. “You haven’t been dating because of me?”

“Pretty much,” I say, keeping my voice low but my honesty loud and clear. “That was for me.”

She reaches up, sliding her hands into my hair, and pulls me closer. “Kiss me again, Rad.”

Our eyes close, and our lips come together. My worries are lost as our lips meet like this was their destiny. Maybe it’s because this feels too good to be bad, but I deepen the kiss, and our tongues embrace.

My body feels like a live wire, every part of me alive and reactive. The tiniest moan escapes her, and I swallow the sound as her arms tighten around my neck, holding me even closer.

But we need to breathe, so our lips slowly part and our eyes open. I keep my forehead against hers and then whisper, “Wow,” feeling every part of the word and left speechless to form sentences.

“Wow,” she says with a sweet giggle as she pulls back enough to see my eyes. “What do you think?”

I can’t play it cool. I grin like a kid locked in a candy shop.Unsupervised.Her nails scrape lightly along my scalp, and a smile slowly spreads across her mouth. “I think I’m going to need more.”

“Kissing?”

“All of you.” We fall back together on the bed and kiss until we’re breathless again. We kiss until the innocence of mewlsbecomes moans of pleasure, and our bodies tangle together. We kiss because I never want to stop kissing this amazing woman.

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