Page 48 of Crossing Paths
He hadn’t even touched her except for her hand and face, but she was already addicted to the experience. Not only was her body fizzing with energy and anticipation, but her brain was giving her a rare break from the constant mental monologue of self-doubt and anxiety. She’d thought she’d be nervous and stressed in this moment, but everything in her was calm and certain. All she wanted was the man in front of her.
He was so close that she could see every detail of his fascinating face, but then he hesitated, staring at her as if trying to read her thoughts. Rather than say anything and possibly break the spell of settled certainty that had fallen over her, she gripped a handful of his T-shirt and yanked. For the split second before that final gap between them closed, she saw his lips quirk up in that tiny smile that was soDash, and the glow in her chest warmed even more.
Then they were kissing, and that was all she could feel.
As their lips explored each other, she wondered how she’dever lived without this connection. For her, touch had always been something she avoided. It had made her feel trapped and awkward when she’d been enveloped in an unwanted hug, her skin prickling unpleasantly until she shied away. When she’d occasionally wondered how it would feel to be kissed like this, she’d figured her thoughts would be occupied the entire time with how uncomfortable and unsanitary and just plain weird the whole process was.
That wasn’t how it was at all though.
She couldn’t imagine anything more natural or wonderful or weirdlycomfortablethan kissing Dash. From the way he groaned deep in his throat as he pressed closer, he couldn’t imagine anything better than kissing her. His hands moved to her waist and then skimmed down over her hips to her thighs. He hoisted her up, lifting her until their faces were level. The movement startled Norah, and she broke the kiss for a moment. He held her easily though, as if she weighed nothing, and she quickly adjusted to her new height. Wrapping her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck, she marveled over her newfound confidence as she leaned in to resume kissing him.
The new position was even better, she quickly discovered, making it so he didn’t have to lean over and she didn’t have to crane her neck back. When he turned and walked a few steps, she barely noticed, even when he pressed her back against the wall. Tightening her legs around him, she slipped a hand up the back of his neck and over his closely shorn hair. Dash seemed to like this, judging by his rumbling groan and tightening fingers.
He deepened the kiss, pressing her back harder against thewall as he reached for her ponytail, wrapping it around his hand. He tugged gently, and she tipped her head back, allowing him to run his lips down her neck, leaving a line of tingling, oversensitive skin in his wake.
“Whoa!”
A male voice that wasn’t Dash’s brought her back to earth with a thump. Peering over his shoulder, she saw Davies whirl around so his back was to them.
“Sorry, man. Just let myself in since it’s after eleven, and the guys are getting restless out there.”
Dash closed his eyes, looking pained and extremely irritated at the interruption. “Tell them—”
“Nothing! You don’t have to tell them anything. We’re done,” Norah hurried to interrupt. Releasing her legs from their hold around his waist, she tried to slide down, but he still held her pinned. When she gave him an entreating look, he huffed out a frustrated sound but slowly lowered her to her feet.
He turned to face Davies. “Might as well let them in,” he grumped.
When Norah tried to wiggle around him to get her bag, he hauled her back to his side. The feeling of someone’s arm over her shoulders usually made her count the seconds until she could skitter away, but it was different with Dash. His enveloping arm made her feel cocooned in warmth and safety, and if she hadn’t been feeling mortified by Davies walking in on them, she would’ve been all too happy to stay tucked against him.
As Davies headed to unlock the door, she wiggled away.
Dash frowned at her. “Are you embarrassed to be seen with me?”
“No.” The sheer absurdity of anyone being embarrassed to be seen with the ever-so-impressive Dashiell Porter almost made her laugh. “I’m just weirded out that Davies saw us kissing and…” She wasn’t sure how to describe the most incredible event of her life so far, so she just sketched a hand in the air. “And everything.”
His lips quirked up at the corners, hinting at a smile. “I’m glad he saw.”
“You are?” She looked at him out of the corner of her eye. “That’s kind of pervy.”
An actual crack of laughter escaped him. “It’s not pervy. This way, he knows he’ll never be more than thefakeboyfriend.”
“Hey!” It was the guy who’d tried to chat her up after her last training session and had been shut down by Dash. He bounced toward them, beaming, looking so much like an enthusiastic golden retriever that Norah couldn’t help but smile back. “Hot girl’s back!”
“No,” Dash said with such a stern expression that happy golden-retriever man did an abrupt ninety-degree turn.
“I’ll just go work on my side kicks.” He scurried away like a scolded puppy.
Although Norah wanted to laugh at how Dash sent the man on such an abrupt detour with a single word and a glare, she also felt a little bad for the golden-retriever man.
“No,” Dash said again, but he was looking at her this time.
Confused, she blinked at him. “What?”
“Quit smiling at him. You can’t have Tucker as a second fake boyfriend.”
This time, she laughed out loud. “I don’t want a second fake boyfriend. I didn’t even want afirstfake boyfriend. What would I do with two?”
His grunt didn’t sound convinced.
