Page 177 of Play of Love
It was only when I said that that he started laughing and I realized that he'd been messing with me the whole time. He moved his hand away from his eye and laughed even harder when he saw the irritated look on my face.
"You jerk." I scowled smacking his chest. "I can't believe you just did that to me. I thought I blinded you." Now I was annoyed. I grabbed one of the cushions and hit him with it several times as he continued to laugh.
I moved to get up, but he swept me up, weightless and held me before him, gazing at me. "Not so fast. You still got me."
"It serves you right," I snapped.
"I wasn't doing anything to deserve that. Look, it got me here." He pointed to just under his eye. The crystal hadn't even left a mark. "The impact could poison me, or something."
"Poison?" I had to laugh.
"Yes, poison. Some strange things can happen sometimes. Then just imagine it. All my hopes and dreams of playing football for the rest of my life would get dashed by the wayside. I'm not talented enough to do anything else in this world." Talk about dramatic. Gage was wallowing in it. "If only there were something you could do to keep that from happening to me."
"Okay Gage, I'll get some antiseptic wipes." I moved to go again, but he pulled me back. This time so close I had to press my hands against his chest to stop myself from falling on to him.
"That won't work. I need something much stronger. Like..." He paused for effect, and his blue eyes grew wild as he took me in with appreciation.
"Like what?"
He ran his fingers along the edge of my waist making my skin tingle and my nerves scatter.
"A kiss," Gage said. His eyes clung to mine, analyzing my reaction, searching my face, reaching my thoughts.
A kiss.
That should have made me run a mile, it should have made me cringe from just the thought but as I stared at the beautifully handsome man before me, that looked like he'd stepped out of some fantasy my heart skipped several beats, and I found myself paralyzed by the magnetism of his smile.
"Kiss," I said, more to myself than him.
"Yeah, a kiss would do the job." His mouth curved with tenderness.
Nervously, I moistened my lips and lowered towards him to kiss just under his eye where the crystal hit. "There all better."
"No, that did nothing. You have to kiss me properly."
It may have seemed easy, but I didn't know if I could. Nerves got the better of me, and I froze.
"It's just –" before I could finish he pulled me into his lap and smoothed his hands behind my head to bring me straight down to his awaiting lips.
The minute his lips touched mine a shock wave coursed throughout my body, emptying my brain and engulfing my entire being. It awakened every single cell within my body and made me feel alive as if I hadn't lived until this moment. It was like everything I'd felt before now was nothing, and this was everything.
He caressed my lips with his, teasing me to surrender to him, and surrender I did, giving myself freely to the currents of desire that heated my mouth with burning fire from his passionate kiss.
My lips actually lost heat when he pulled away.
"Evie." He said my name on the edge of a breath, and as I looked at him realization dawned on me, and I moved back.
"No." I couldn't. It was too much, and I didn't know how to deal with the emotions that coursed throughout me. I got off his lap and stood up to rush up to my room, but he took hold of my arm stopping me. The mere touch of his hand sent a warming shiver throughout me.
"Why?" He searched my eyes.
"I'm not supposed to like you." The answer sounded so silly, but yet it was true.
Things were simple in the world where I didn't like him, but they were beautiful and fascinating, musical and mind- numbing even in the world where I did.
"Newsflash. I like you too." He smiled, then he did the sweetest thing. He leaned forward and brushed a kiss across my cheek. "I like you too." He repeated. "Maybe it wouldn't be as bad as you think." The tenderness in his expression amazed me.
I gazed up at him as he backed away and left the room, leaving me to my thoughts and feelings. I placed my fingers to my lips that were still warm and moist from his kiss.
