Page 13 of No Way Home
*Nude pictures will get you immediately disqualified.
“Well, that’s a relief.” I chuckled, relaxing. But then I saw the final clue and my nerves cranked right back up.
5. Seal the deal with a kiss. Bonus points if there’s a little swoon in the shot.
The anticipation of kissing her made my lungs seize. Deep breath. “Compromising position, huh? What do you suggest?”
“I have an idea.” She side-eyed me. “Can I trust you to go with me back to my apartment?”
“Yes. Scout’s honor.” I held up the three-finger salute. “Can I trustyouto take me back to your apartment?”
“Yes. But I was never a scout, so this is all I’ve got for you.” She gave me a peace sign. Which fit. I was feeling peace. So much peace. “Also, just know that I have a canister of pepper spray.” She patted her purse. “And I’m not afraid to use it.”
I took a large, dramatic step away from her. “Got it.”
She reached out, hooked one finger through my belt loop, and yanked me to her.
“Is that right?” I murmured.
A flush crept up her neck but she held my gaze, unafraid. “Yep.”
Ten minutes later, we were kneeling in a small two-bedroom apartment with the tiniest living room I’d ever seen. It was barely big enough for the Twister mat she spread across the floor.
“Can we play with only two people?” I tugged a corner flat.
She was on her knees, facing me, smoothing out a crease. “You can.” She grabbed her phone off the couch and held it up to show that she had a spinner downloaded.
“Oh, I see how it is,” I teased. “You bring all your datesback here for a seductive game of competitive yoga.” I clicked my tongue. “And here I was feeling special.”
She snorted—like a pig. Then clamped a hand over her mouth. It was adorable. “I downloaded it while we were walking.” Her gaze turned molten. “You’re my first.”
Good. Gracious.
“I guess it’ll be a first for both of us,” I said, matching her energy. Dang. I was good at dating a college girl. Really good.
“Guess so.” She tapped the screen. “Okay. I’ve got it set to auto-spin every fifteen seconds. You’re up first. Left hand on blue.”
I found my spot.
Three minutes later, I was contorted like a pretzel, about to lose an arm, and she was draped across my chest like a cozy blanket. I could’ve held the pose—my family owned a huge gym back home and I worked out four times a week. But the real test was her eyes, locked on my mouth. She was counting down. Just like me.
“Let’s get the money shot.” She struggled to reach her phone.
With the picture taken, there was nothing between us and number five.
I should’ve felt awkward, knowing I was about to kiss a college girl. Who didn’t know I wasn’t a college guy quite yet. But I didn’t. I felt weirdly confident. And ready. Like I could not wait to hold her in my arms. To see if kissing her was as epic as I thought it would be.
So instead of unwinding from the pose and making things weird by planning out the kiss, I pretended to slip, and took her down with me. It worked like I wanted it to, and she ended up in my lap, laughing until she shook. It was the best sound I’d heard in forever—free and honest, and bubbling out of her like she couldn’t have contained it if she tried. I loved that I was the reason for it.
I slid my arms around her waist and tipped my forehead tohers. She went stiff. Could I blame her? She was alone in her apartment with a guy she barely knew and I was closing the distance fast. So I just stayed there, hands on her ribcage, feeling her inhale and exhale beneath my palms, letting her set the pace.
A few seconds later, she relaxed against me. “This has been…” she said, her voice barely a tiptoe.
“Yeah,” I whispered.
Her hands moved to my shoulders, her thumbs making soft circles against my shirt. “I like you, 167.”
There was no way she couldn’t feel my heart working like pistons, firing so hard my whole body thrummed withneed. A need to kiss her, yes. But it was more than that. I needed to see her tomorrow. And the next day. And the next. But I couldn’t say that, so I just said, “I like you, too. A lot.”
