Wrong Place, Right Time(104)

“Me too.” I put my hands on his upper arms as he draws me closer. I slide my fingers around his biceps, secretly enjoying the bulges underneath his shirt. I would so love to see this guy naked. Is that wrong of me? We haven’t even been on a real date yet.

He leans down, and I tip my head back to try to make it easier on him. The foot-and-a-half difference in height between us is not conducive to a sexy, romantic moment; he’s bent nearly in half to kiss me.

When our mouths meet, I’m surprised; his lips are softer than I expected them to be. He pushes them against mine, first gently and then with more pressure. I’m also thrilled. This doesn’t feel like a friends-only kiss. This feels like a he’s-interested-in-being-more-than-friends kiss. I’m not going to question why he’s asking me about dating other guys when he’s ready to say goodbye like this; I’m just going to try and enjoy the moment.

When our tongues join the game, I start to panic, though. I realize that I have no idea what I’m doing. I haven’t kissed a man in almost a year, and before that, the only man I ever kissed for ten years was Miles. The awkwardness has me backing my head up and breaking off contact. It feels so strange to be here with him. Good, but strange. Like I’ve done something I shouldn’t have. My head is going crazy with questions, the foremost being Are you going to break my heart playing games with me?

“Is something wrong?” he asks.

“No. I’m just . . .” I shake my head and look down. I’m so embarrassed and disappointed in myself. I have the hottest guy in town standing right here in my kitchen and I can’t even kiss him without turning it into a soap opera? What am I? Brain dead?

His finger lifts my chin, forcing me to look at him. “Am I going too fast?”

I laugh bitterly. “Jesus, I hope not.”

He smiles. “That’s good news. I think.”

I shake my head. “I’m sorry I’m being such a freak. It’s just that . . . I’ve been alone for a year, and I suddenly realized that I am really out of practice. I think I forgot how to kiss.”

He leans down again, talking gently as he comes closer. “Don’t worry, it’s like riding a bike. You just need to get on and start pedaling.”

I lift my mouth toward his as he gets closer. “Start riding?”

“Yeah,” he says with a smile in his whispering voice. “Get on and do your thing.”

Oh, what the hell. Why not? Why not just throw all caution to the wind and take a leap of faith? My heart races as I realize what I’m doing. I’m going to give this a shot. I’m going to kiss this man and see where it takes us.

Our lips come together much more confidently this time. Both of us give in to the passion that’s been building between us. Screw being just friends. This feels too good to keep it on a mere friendship level.

His hands are all over me. One is grabbing my ass and squeezing, the other is at my back, pulling me into him. Our bodies are touching everywhere. My arms are almost straight up in the air, wrapped around his neck and pulling him down to deepen our kiss. I guess I haven’t forgotten how to kiss . . .

When he moans against my mouth, it ramps up the heat another couple notches. I didn’t think I was capable of experiencing this kind of passion in such a short period of time. Two minutes ago I was talking myself into being his friend; now I’m trying to figure out how long we have to mess around before I can get him into my bedroom.

One of his hands slides around and grabs my breast, and all I can think is, Go under my shirt! Take off my bra! Let’s make this happen!

He’s grinding into me, but we’re in a terrible position for it. If he were a guy of normal height, it might have worked, but with him, it feels like somebody’s pressing a hammer into my stomach.

I speak between kisses, my words coming out in gasps of breath. “Do you want to go to my room?”

He stops all of a sudden and pulls away from me, leaning back so he can look me in the eye. “Do you?”

I panic. Why is he asking me that? Does he not want to go that far? Did I read too much into his passionate embrace?

I shrug. “Only if you do. We don’t have to. It’s fine if you want to stay here in the kitchen.” I look to my left. “In front of the refrigerator.”

Next thing I know, my world is turning upside down. I let out a quick scream before I realize what’s happening. He’s holding me in his arms, and with his long strides we’re already halfway down the hallway.

I start laughing like a maniac. “What are you doing?” My hair dangles in the air, hanging over his arm, and my legs are flopping around as I try to get upright.