His brows furrowed, and he reached out to brush a strand of hair back behind her ear. The action caused goose bumps to run the length of her body, but he acted like it was something he did all the time, like it wasn’t the most intimate thing she’d ever experienced in her entire life. “Do you like him?”
She swallowed, because a tight ball of something had lodged itself in her throat. “Sometimes I do, and sometimes I don’t.”
“Why’s that?”
“Because—” She shook her head, unsure why she was confessing all this. “Because he’s my best friend. He’s been there through everything. I just…”
“You don’t like him like that.”
She bit her lip, wondering how he’d known what she was going to say before she said it. “Yeah… I guess that’s it.”
“Don’t sell yourself short, Sammie Smiles. Don’t settle for anything less than what you want.” He ran his thumb across her chin, touching her in such a comfortable way you’d think they’d been friends for years. “Tell him the truth.”
“I can’t. I don’t want to ruin our relationship.”
“So you’d rather give up on what you want to make him happy?”
“No, that’s not what I’m saying.”
“Then what are you saying?”
“I just don’t know what to say.”
“Tell him…” His eyes trailed down her face, stopping at her lips. “That you met another guy. A guy who’s trying damn hard to be a gentleman right now.”
He met her eyes again, as though trying to read her thoughts. “Have you ever been kissed before, Samantha?”
She turned away, too shocked by the turn in conversation to get her mind to focus. “Why does that matter?”
“Because I need to know.”
“Why?”
“Because.” He touched her cheek gently with his fingertips, easing her face back toward him. “If this is your first time, I want it to be unforgettable.”
Her chest rose and fell with each breath. She was sure it was visible, but there was no point in trying to hide it now.
He smiled. “You have no idea, do you?”
“No idea about what?”
He pushed himself to his elbow. “How goddamned sexy you are.”
She covered her face, wanting to hide away with embarrassment, but he reached out softly and brushed her hands aside. “You’re beautiful, Samantha, but I think what amazes me most is the fact that you don’t know it.”
He leaned over, his forearm baring all his weight. “I normally don’t ask, I normally don’t have to, but I’m trying damned hard to keep my promise. I want to kiss you, Samantha.” His mouth moved slowly toward hers. “Now’s your chance to tell me you don’t want me to.”
She looked up into his eyes, her heart pounding like a wild stallion, but no matter what she did, no matter how hard she tried to make her lips form the words, she couldn’t do it. She couldn’t say no. She wanted Tristan to kiss her, even though an hour earlier she would’ve been horrified by the thought. But in this moment, right now, it seemed like she couldn’t live if he didn’t.
His lips moved closer, her silence inviting him in, telling him it was okay, that he could take the thing she’d built up to fairy tale proportions, because this moment felt like one. A fairy tale.
His mouth came slowly, settling upon hers, warm, soft, and full. But he didn’t move at all after that, he just stayed there, right there, perfectly still. Their breaths mingled together, both hard and soft. Breaths that were full of excitement and anticipation, and made every nerve in her body abundantly aware of his every move.
It was erotic. Invigorating. Made her whole stomach tighten with tiny flutters. Just the simple act of breathing the same air as someone else, not touching, or even really kissing. When she exhaled, he sucked it in, taking so much more of her than a breath. He was taking her girlhood, her hope and her dreams, and leading her down the path she’d never been before. Making her think she’d never really known her body, because it was doing things she’d never felt in her life.
When his lips finally moved, her body melted. Like she’d been frozen, too afraid to do anything but breathe for fear she’d wake, but his lips were there, warm like a fire, slowly heating her from the inside out. He kissed her bottom lip, pulling it into his mouth slightly before letting it go. “Are you okay?” he whispered.
Because goddammit, he was being a gentleman. Being everything she never thought he could be. Being everything she always wanted but never knew it until now. She nodded, her grip on the rocks loosening.