Page 916 of One More Kiss

“Hey.” I reached out and stroked her cheek. “You can tell me anything.”

“Why me?”

My brows knit together, yet I couldn’t help but chuckle. “I like you. Have I not made it obvious enough?”

She looked down. “It’s just. You’re you. And I’m—"

“Stop. You should know by now I hate stigmas and stereotypes.”

She met my gaze. “Then why did you take me to Rockslide?”

“Why not? The food is good. It’s a cool place.”

Her eyes still seemed unconvinced. “But it’s so far away.”

“And?” I wasn’t sure where this was going.

“When I asked you if you would be embarrassed to be seen with me, you blew me off. Rockslide is somewhere we wouldn’t be likely to run into anyone you know. You’ve met my best friend, but I’ve never seen yours. And—”

I shook my head and put my finger over her lips. “I am not embarrassed by you, Tate. At. All. If it seems like I avoid people when we are together, it’s because I do. But not because I’m worried about what they will think about you. But because I worry about what they will think of me.”

She looked confused.

“The way I act when I’m with you, the crazy, spontaneous, slightly insane guy I am with you, that’s me. The real me. And I feel like I can’t be that way around anyone else because they’ll judge me.”

“Oh.”

I brushed a lock of hair behind her ear. “I’m not messing around, Tate.”

But she wasn’t hearing me. So, I did the one thing I’d honestly wanted to do since the day I met her. I cupped her soft cheek in my palm and pressed my lips to hers. It was slow at first, like a whisper as our mouths brushed together, but I wanted more. I swept my tongue out, asking for entry, and she parted her lips and allowed the kiss to go deeper.

Tate melted into my touch, and I wrapped my arms around her. When I finally pulled away, I pressed my forehead to hers and searched her face for signs that she was upset or uncomfortable. Her cheeks were flushed the color of rose petals, and her eyes fluttered open.

I smiled at her. “Do you still think I’m just messing around?”

But she didn’t answer. She just grabbed my shirt in her fists and yanked my mouth back to hers. I smiled against her lips, and this time, she took the lead, sucking on my lip, then my tongue. Her hands grew restless, and the next thing I knew, she was pulling my shirt up over my head.

She took me in, and her cheeks flushed bright red. It wasn’t the first time I’d had someone look at me that way, but it was the first time I felt like I was seeing it for the right reasons. Sure, I worked out, and of course, I played ball a lot, but I knew this wasn’t the reason Tate was with me today. She wasn’t with me for the wrong reasons like everyone else.

She ran her fingers down my chest and over my abs. I let out a low, involuntary chuckle and pressed my forehead to hers.

She bit her lip. “You’re ticklish.”

“Don’t tell anyone.” I winked.

But Tate’s eyes grew more serious. She sat back a little and pulled at the hem of her shirt moment. I watched her, wondering what was going through her mind before she lifted the fabric over her head.

I hadn’t expected that. I swallowed hard as I took in her soft, slightly curvy body. Tate wasn’t super skinny, but she was still petite. She had the perfect shape, sexy as fuck.

Her green lacy bra left nothing to the imagination, and my dick took notice.

“What do you want to do?” I knew it sounded like a stupid question, and it was quite honestly the first time I’d ever asked it, but this was Tate. I wanted to make sure there were no lines crossed that she didn’t want. I couldn’t fuck this up. My hands shook slightly as I struggled to stay cool.

She didn’t answer. Instead, she just stood, undid her jeans, and shimmied out of them. Her panties matched her bra. My gaze traveled the length of her body. Memorizing every inch.

Fuck she was perfect.

Tate started to fidget, and I realized I’d just been staring at her. I reached out, gently grabbing her hips, pulling her close. I brought my lips to her stomach and peppered her with light kisses, eliciting a gasp.

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