Page 144 of Before We're More Than Friends
“That afternoon at the shelter, after we competed to be the lead singer,” I finally said, “you wanted me to be the lead singer with you. I just felt that for a moment, we were more than friends.”
“I-I felt that way too,” Dallas said, his mouth inching closer to mine. “And I’m glad we were both right.” The warmth of his mouth greeted me as he pressed his lips against mine, causing that fluttering sensation in my stomach to return. The butterflies used to terrify me, but they now made me want to giggle.
He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me closer to him, and for a moment, I wondered if he was going to put me on his lap. His lips steadily moved with mine, sending my pulse out of control. It blew my mind that he was new to this because he kissed me so well. When his mouth was against mine, I couldn’t think of anything else but how much I craved hisembrace. Every other worry I had dissolved like sugar in a glass of water.
As our lips synced, my body pushed his against the bench’s armrest. He released a deep moan from his chest and put a hand on the armrest like he could fall off the bench any minute. He sat up straighter, and I rose to still keep my mouth on his. He nearly stumbled off the bench.
“Sorry,” I whispered against his lips. “I’m just excited.”
“As you should be,” he said before standing up, pulling me upward with him. We only stood for a few moments before he pulled me down to the grass, wrapping his arms around my waist again.
“What are you do—” I couldn’t finish my sentence as my chest and stomach pressed against his, my side hitting the ground. I gasped, my breathing out of control. But I wasn’t panicked at the sudden movement. Well, there could’ve been dog poop on the ground for all we knew, but the worried part of my brain finally shut off. I adjusted myself in the grass, ignoring how it prickled my skin.
Dallas laughed against my lips. “Maybe that was a bad idea. But I wanted to try this.” He pulled away from me before resting on his back. “Sometimes in Dallas, I’d lie in the grass with Toby and look at the stars.” He pointed to the night sky, the stars and the moon shining down on us.
I cuddled against him as I grinned at the sky. “No offense to Toby, but I hope you enjoy doing this with me more.”
Dallas laughed again. “Toby could never make me feel like this.” He wrapped an arm around me. “Nobody compares to my moonlight.”
“Not even the moon itself?”
“The moon isn’t a person.”
I snorted. “Then I don’t have any competition.”
“You never did.” His mouth moved closer to mine again, his minty breath filling my senses. “It’ll always be you in the night sky.” He closed the distance between our lips again, his kiss warmer than before.
Electricity surged through me, and I found myself rolling on top of him. He moaned again, but I didn’t know if it was because he was enjoying this or because I was crushing him the way Penrose crushed me in my sleep.
“You’re crushing my ribs,” Dallas said breathlessly. “My chest isn’tthatstrong.”
“Sorry!” I rolled off him, my head hitting the ground.Ouch. “I won’t do that anymore.” I brushed my side against him again before curling my fingers through his soft curls.
“It’s okay.” His hand brushed my warm cheek. “I’m still having the time of my life.” He grinned, those deep eyes hypnotizing me as his hand traveled to my hair. “Is it wrong that I love running my hands through your hair and messing up your makeup when we do this?”
“You like it when I look like a troll?” I snickered.
“A princess like you could never be a troll,” he breathed. “I love every way you look, as long as you’re smiling like that. And especially when it’s because of me.”
He just always had to say things that made me melt, did he? “You do make me very happy,” I said as our hips brushed together again. I tried to come up with something equally romantic to say, but I wasn’t good at it like he was.
But maybe I didn’t have to say the most perfect things. All I needed to say was how I felt.
My head spun as our mouths waltzed together. My hand searched underneath his jacket and shirt until I felt his warm skin. I always thought that kissing was over-hyped, but he was delicious. Full of passion, his hand trailed downmy back, nearly touching the waistband of my jeans. He was his authentic self around me, and I loved him for it. I didn’t understand how I’d gotten so lucky to have him here with me.
But some of the best things couldn’t be understood, and, for once, that was okay with me.
CHAPTER 35
Dallas
Raina and I didn’t finish our song last night, but we planned on showing it to our bandmates at our practice today.
When I came downstairs for dinner, I stopped at the sound of yelling from the kitchen. My spirits, which had been the highest they’d been in a long time, plummeted like a stone in the water. I went into the dining room to inspect the commotion, the aroma of pasta filling the air.
“You don’t have to act like this, Leah,” Dad snapped, leaning against the counter. “Every time I voice my opinion, you act like I’m hurting you.”
“Because you are,” Mom said, her voice shaking. “You make me feel bad about every choice I make.”
