Page 11 of Taste of Surrender
“Don’t hate. You know you love Liv too.”
“Yeah, she’s not bad.” Malachi grinned.
After we finished putting the tent away, I drove away with my parents. I stared out the window thinking about our kiss and wondering if it would happen again.
Several weeks had passedsince we returned from the lake. Between school and my new job, I hadn’t seen Malachi, and I was beginning to wonder if he was avoiding me.
I’d just started making dinner when I heard the front door open and close. Soon Jesse rounded the corner, and when he saw me standing at the stove, he asked, “What are you making?”
I stirred the onions I was sautéing. “Salisbury steak, mashed potatoes, and a salad.”
“Nice.” He grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and chugged half of it. “Can you make enough for Malachi too? We’re going to hang out over here and watch some movies tonight.”
“Uh sure,” I replied, wondering if things were going to be awkward.
Whenever they had one of their movie nights, Malachi usually ended up staying over, and I was both excited and nervous to have him around.
“Cool. I’m going to take a shower and get the gym smell off of me.”
“Good, because you reek.”
“You’re just jealous because you don’t have arms like this.” My brother flexed his biceps and gave me a cheesy grin.
“Hopefully, you’ve been working out your neck so it can hold up that gigantic head of yours,” I teased as he started toward his room.
A few minutes later, the doorbell rang, and since my parents weren’t home from work quite yet, I had no choice but to answer it.
“Oh … hey,” Malachi greeted me as I pulled the door open.
“Hey,” I replied and stepped aside so he could come in. “Haven’t seen you for a while.” I closed the door behind him and headed back to the kitchen.
He followed me. “Yeah. I’ve been busy.”
“Really? Because if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’ve been avoiding me.”
He let out a breath. “Look, I probably gave you mixed signals with us kissing and then not talking to you. I promise that wasn’t my intention.”
“You don’t have to explain yourself,” I said, mostly because I wasn’t sure how I would handle it if he told me he regretted what he’d said while we were camping.
“But—”
I turned on the burner under the pot of potatoes so they could come to a boil. “It’s okay. I promise.”
“No, it’s not.” He spun me around. “I wasn’t lying when I said I wanted more, and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about kissing you again.”
“Malachi …” I whispered.
He wasn’t the only one who couldn’t stop thinking about it, and I desperately wanted us to do it again. Thankfully, I didn’t have to wait long. He took a step forward and leaned down, fusing our mouths together. His hands wrapped around my neck, and he pulled me closer. Needing more, I parted my lips so he could deepen the kiss. Our tongues swirled together, and I could taste a hint of mint on his breath.
I could have kissed him for hours, but our moment was cut short by pounding footsteps as my brother came down the hallway. Immediately, I pushed away from Malachi and turned my focus back to cooking dinner.
From the corner of my eye, I watched as they pounded fists and started talking about the reality show their band had submitted an audition tape for.
A short time later, my parents arrived. While the five of us sat down for dinner together, it took everything in my power not to stare at Malachi from across the table. I hoped we’d get another minute alone tonight.
After my parentswent to bed, Jesse started looking for a movie to watch. “What are you in the mood for?” he asked Malachi.
“I don’t know.” He shrugged. “Anything in particular you want to watch, Jasper?”
