Page 53 of Perfectly Us
Shiloh’s raspy laugh is soothing.
“Hey, Shi?” I lay my head on his shoulder. “Do you like kissing me? I don’t want you feeling pressured or whatever. If you’re not into it, we don’t have to—”
“I like it,” he says, his hand finding mine again. “Romance, dating, they’re things I didn’t really let myself think about before. I felt too broken and was afraid no one would understand. Hell, I didn’t understand it myself. Still don’t. I threw up a wall and kept everyone out. It was easier that way.”
“And I broke through that wall?”
A light laugh rumbles in his chest. “Yeah. You did. You were persistent, didn’t give up on me. I’m so damn thankful for that too. Otherwise we wouldn’t be here right now.”
“And you like where we are right now?”
He nuzzles the top of my head. “I do. The more I get to know you, the more I want to do things. Like hold you. Or kiss. I’ve never felt like this, Alex.”
I love when he says my name.
“If it means anything, I’ve never felt like this either.” Still holding his hand, I use my free one to caress his forearm, then trail it down to play with his bracelets. “I’ve been with a few guys, but it was only sex with them. This though?” I press closer to him. “This feels different. Special.”
“It’s special to me too.”
“Even though I’m a guy?”
“That doesn’t matter to me,” Shiloh says. “I don’t care that you’re a guy. I wouldn’t care if you were a girl. It’syouthat I like, Alex. Not the body you’re in. I like your bubbly personality, kind heart, and unfiltered mouth. I like the way you crinkle your nose when you’re thinking and how you snort sometimes when you laugh really hard. Even more, I like how you make me feel.”
My heart swells. “How do I make you feel?”
“Like I’m flying,” he says, burying his face in my hair.
His lips find mine then, and as we kiss, me pulling him with me as I fall to my back on the bed, I feel like I’m flying too.
When Shiloh drops me off at Ruben’s house later, we kiss again in the cab of his car. He wasn’t lying when he said he liked it. I’m going to need to invest in some ChapStick if we keep this up.
“Good night,” he whispers against my lips, hand on my leg.
“Night.”
Reluctantly, I pull away and get out of his car. I feel his eyes on me as I walk to the front door. Only when I reach it does he back out of the driveway, the headlights fanning across the trees, then fading away as he leaves.
Thankfully, Melody’s already gone by the time I slip inside Ruben’s room. He’s lying in bed and throws a pillow at me as soon as I walk in.
“Have fun with your boy toy?” Ruben asks.
“He’s not my boy toy.” I fling the pillow back at him.
“Yeah. Whatever. Everyone saw how steamy you guys were gettin’ in the lake.”
“Shut your face.” I plop down on the small couch in the corner of the room. It smells like cheese and feet and needs some Febreze, maybe even to be burned to put the poor thing out of its misery, but I’m still on a high from being with Shiloh, so I don’t care.
I cuddle up with a blanket and pillow and settle down to sleep.
“Hey, Al?”
“Yeah?”
“I’m happy you’re happy.”
I smile. “Thanks. Have fun with Mel?”
“I don’t kiss and tell.”
