Page 54 of Make it Real
“Who’s doing what?”
Ticking her head toward the house, she indicated with wide eyes. “Gran and her friends.”
I started to turn, but she held my shoulder. “Don’t look. They’re all lined up in the window, it’s humiliating. Let’s just…let’s pretend we’re having a flirty conversation.”
She flipped her hair back and fake-laughed like she was auditioning for a bit part in a bad movie.
I lifted an eyebrow. “That’s you flirting?”
“Okay, Mr. Relationship Expert, do you want to show me how it’s done?”
“Sure.” I leaned against the side of the truck, my head angled down, my eyes intent on her. Tucking her hair behind her ear, I slowly skimmed my fingers over her skin and through the strands until she shivered. “The key is keeping it casual.”
What a liar. The excitement rocketing around in my chest didn’t feel anything close to casual.
Her mouth curled as she moved closer, resting one hand on the center of my chest, the other at my waist. Her fingers moved in small circles, trailing heat like they were made of flame.
“Like this?” she asked, her low voice so seductive, I had to stop myself from crushing her to me like a cave man.
I deeply regretted starting this game.
“I think you’ve got it.”
She looked behind me, her mouth twisting. “They’re still there.”
“Isn’t that the point? To prove we’re together?”
Her eyes snapped to mine. “I think you should kiss me.”
My stomach performed a perfect loop-the-loop, rising and falling in a scared little circle. “What?”
I’d apparently reached the stage where I feigned confusion when a woman asked me to kiss her. Couldn’t pretend I wasn’t intrigued when my hands on her waist itched to explore, and my eyes had already strayed to her soft, full mouth. As much as I wanted to act on the urge, following through would be a terrible idea.
Because then, I’d want all the follow-through, too.
“They’re all staring.” She spoke through a smile that looked about as natural as her faux-flirting. “We should kiss.”
My mouth went dry, my attention fixed on her lips as she spoke. How would they feel moving against mine? What would they taste like? Would I have the strength to stop kissing them once I started?
“It’s only our second date.” The flimsiest excuse I’d ever used. Actually, had I ever refused a kiss before? Couldn’t remember. My mind had been erased and refilled with thought after thought of Callie’s mouth on mine.
Her eyebrows tugged together. “You expect me to believe you don’t kiss until the third date?”
She had me there.
“If I really liked a woman and wanted to see her again—”
She ignored my spiel, her hand sliding up my chest to the back of my neck, pulling me closer. I didn’t resist. Stretching up on tip-toes, she leaned against me in her quest to reach my mouth.
“You said I could captain this ship, so I’m captaining.”
Well. She did outrank me.
Her mouth finally met mine, and I reacted on instinct. My hands stroked over her hips and back, my body firing up with need undercut with something sweeter. Her full lips teased in the best way, sending currents of electricity through my veins. I let her keep control of the kiss, never asking for more but willing to follow wherever she’d lead.
The kiss might have lasted ten seconds or ten minutes—I only knew it didn’t last nearly long enough.
When she finally broke away, I had to fight the urge to return my mouth to hers where it belonged. She looked up at me, eyes hazy but pleased, her body soft against mine. This woman was everything sweet and joyful and good, a gift I wanted to go on opening every day. But in another minute, her satisfied expression transformed, her mouth twisting as she drew away.
