Page 43 of Starting Over with You
His sky-blue eyes look annoyed as he sets them on Sadie. “Sae, why in the hell aren’t the dishes done? You know Dad is gonna be home soon.”
Their dad works for the forest rangers and puts in real long hours. Or so he says. My dad said he’s hurting so much over the death of his wife that he doesn’t want to be home. Which, in his opinion, is why Sadie is buck wild.
Not that I’m thinking of Sadie. Nope, my eyes are moving along Dean’s body and wondering why the hell he isn’t starring in a music video because he’d be number one on TRL. Even if it’s a country video. I lick my lips, but then I look away quickly when he directs his gaze to me. “What the hell are you three doing?”
I look over at Missy and Sadie, because if they tell him what we’re really doing, I’m going to freak out. It’s bad enough they know I’ve never been kissed; I don’t need Dean knowing. The moment my eyes settle on them, though, I beg for the Lord to come down and save me because they are shifting their gazes between Dean and me, obviously up to something.
Damn it.
Missy slams the yearbook shut as she shoots to her feet.
“Dean, I need your help,” Sadie says, standing up. Dean stands straighter, his eyes darting around the room in search of the danger he thinks is here.
Sorry, buddy. There is no danger.
“Run, Dean,” I mutter, and his eyes cut to mine.
I swear he was Superman in another life. He’s always there to save someone. He looks me over, not in the way I want, before he looks back at Sadie. “What’s wrong?”
Missy has the most innocent look on her face before she points to me. “Did you know that my poor, pathetic little sister hasn’t had her first kiss?”
Dean’s brows draw in before he glances over at me. I don’t miss the way the tops of his ears turn bright red before his face follows suit.
God, he’s hot.
He moves his gaze from me to our sisters and arches a brow. “Okay?”
“You have to kiss her,” Missy demands, and his eyes widen.
“What—”
“We need someone we trust, someone who will make it good for her and not take advantage of her,” Sadie pleads. “Do you really want us finding some random to kiss our sweet baby? She needs someone good and kind but who doesn’t want her like that.”
Missy points to Sadie. “What she said. We could get someone to do it for us, but what if they try to sleep with her? She’s so naïve, she’d do it.”
I hold up my hand. “I’m right here.”
They don’t even spare me a glance, but Dean does and I’m instantly breathless. I press my hand to my stomach as his eyes drop to my lips then rise to meet my gaze. There is something in his eyes I’ve never seen, and all it does is make him even hotter. My heart is basically a kick drum as I’m locked in his gaze. The silence is thicker than mud, but no one says a word as he continues to stare at me. I feel exposed and all kinds of hot, but thankfully, he says, “Go do the dishes, Sae. And Missy, go help.”
My heart is bursting out of my chest. They squeal before rushing out of the room in a fit of giggles. When the door shuts, he moves his hand to lock it, but those sky-blue depths don’t move from me. “Tell me. You want this?”
My mouth goes dry, and I don’t know what to say. Do I want to kiss Dean Moore?
You bet your sweet ass I do.
I swallow hard and nod. “I do.”
“You sure? I can say I did it and leave.”
His voice is rough, gritty, and every single inch of my body is on fire. “I want to.”
He nods, and then he’s moving toward me. I’m a thick girl, some might say I’m a fat-ass, and no one has ever looked at me the way Dean is right now. His eyes glide along my curves like I have the body of Britney Spears instead of looking like I ate her. I’m burning from the inside out as his eyes cut up to mine. His lips quirk at the side as he comes to a stop before me. I’ve been on the tall side since I shot up in sixth grade, but Dean towers over me, and my head falls back some to keep my eyes on his. I feel like I’m coming out of my skin as he reaches out to push my hair off my neck. His fingers dance along myshoulder to my collarbone, and I whimper like a touch-starved loser. His lips part in awe.
“You’re so beautiful, KenniLeigh.”
Yeah, I think I just passed out. He cups my throat, pressing his thumb into my pulse point before he leans in, his eyes never moving from mine as he asks, “You sure you want to give me your first kiss? It’s a special thing.”
I nod slowly. “I do.”
