Her breath hitched as my mouth met hers in such a whisper that it was almost as if we weren’t touching, but we were. Her lips were wet. I licked along the seam, breaking them apart, and then slowly letting her taste take over. I pushed my tongue against the inside of her mouth loving the way her body tensed as the pressure increased.

She moaned, putting her arms around my neck. I helped her, rocking her harder against my body. My hands came around her back, and I tried to get all of her to press against me. I’d never felt so alive as when that girl, that perfectly strange girl who I’d only met days before, was near me. I could almost believe her heartbeat was my own as her tongue danced with mine. I increased the pressure, cupping her chin with my hand. I moved my lips down her neck and behind her ear. Alternating between trailing hot kisses down her neck and blowing against the coolness my kisses left when my lips released their hold. Damn, I wanted to bite her. I wanted to keep tasting her over and over again until I had no strength left, but that was just the thing. Always a time limit, always a buzzer when it came to me.

We broke apart slowly, both of our chests heaving.

She opened her mouth, but I pressed my fingers against it.

“Ready for the next part of your date?” I didn’t want her to discuss the kiss like most girls would, or feel awkward about it. So I just changed the subject. Mainly because I didn’t want her to embarrass herself, and also because I was feeling a hell of a lot of arousal in my body, and I didn’t want to draw attention to myself. My self control was that of a thirteen-year-old boy. It took everything in me not to be selfish and throw her against my car, lifting that tiny skirt until my hands—

Right.

I shook my head. Clearly the kiss had affected me. I wanted it to be romantic for her. I told her I wanted her world to change. Hadn’t expected mine to shift as well.

“The other part of the date?” She grinned. Her face was flushed. “You mean you didn’t just take me out here to make out?”

“Yes.” I grinned. “No.” Cursing, I ran my hands through my hair. “Okay, guilty on both accounts. Fine. To be fair, I wish I could kiss you all damn night, but kissing always leads to…”

“Hugging?” She gave me a saucy wink.

“Right.” I laughed and looked away. “Lots of tight, uh, hugging.”

“So…” She looked back at the car. “Do we get in or what?”

“Nope.” I reached into my pocket and pulled out a blindfold. “Now you trust me.”

“Should have known you’d wait until after you kissed me to kill me.”

“All the good serial killers seduce and then kill.” I sighed. “Now, give me two minutes to set up and we’ll be ready to go.”

“Okay.”

I waved in front of her face to make sure she couldn’t see and then ran back to the Cayenne.

Chapter Twenty-Two

He was right. My world shifted. It shifted into his atmosphere. I wonder if it was on purpose.

Kiersten

Why did people always do that? Wave in front of your face to make sure you couldn’t see? I mean, I could still see the action of him waving. It was cute. And honestly, I needed a moment. After that kiss… I sighed and rocked back on my heels. His kisses didn’t give — they ruined. I wasn’t sure how any other kiss would ever compare. But I did know one thing. I didn’t want to experiment. I didn’t want to see. Yet it felt like he was just humoring me, because in those moments he always said “the guy who holds your heart,” and “the guy you marry…” Why the heck was he constantly taking himself out of the equation? The insecure part of myself made me assume it was because I wasn’t his type and I was young. And well, he was a popular football god, while I was just a freshman with an undeclared major. Wow, there was a reality check if I ever needed one.

“Ready?” His voice came from in front of me.

“I think so.” I tried not to sound nervous but I was. I mean, if he kissed me again I might just pass out and fall into the lake. Hopefully, he knew how to swim because I was probably going to drown.

“Open up your hands.”

“Please don’t be one of those guys that thinks it’s funny to put spiders or snakes in girls’ hands to hear them scream.”

A warm hand touched my face and then flicked my lower lip. “I can’t lie, Kiersten. I want to hear you scream, but not like that. Definitely, not like that.”

Was he saying what I thought he was saying? Regardless, I felt a hot blush rush cross my cheeks.

“You trust me?” Wes asked.

“Yes.”

“Then hold out your hands.”

I did.

He placed something kind of heavy in them. It was wrapped, so I couldn’t tell by feeling it what it was. A book maybe?

The blindfold was pulled from my face. I looked down at my hands. It was a book. At least I think it was.

“Open it,” he urged.

As I peeled back the layers of blue wrapping paper, Wes walked behind me and whispered in my ear.

“…It was painful, exceedingly painful, to know that they were under obligations to a person who could never receive a return…”

The paper fell. It was a limited edition of Pride and Prejudice. “You, you gave me—”

“Mr. Darcy,” Wes whispered in my ear. “As you can see, I also memorized some lines so that you’d swoon.”

“Should you recite them again and I’ll fall into your arms?” I asked breathlessly, still examining the beautifully bound book.

“It would help my pride.” He nipped my ear with his lips and then his hands moved to my neck, massaging my shoulders. “But then again it is called Pride and Prejudice for a reason.”

I turned in his arms and hugged him. “Thank you so much.”

“Best first date gift you’ve ever received?” he asked, pulling away.

“It’s the only first date gift I’ve had, so sure.” I giggled.

“Damn.” He tilted my chin and gazed into my eyes. “I’ll just have to do better.”

“Memorize the entire book and we’ll talk.”

“Really?” His mouth curved into a wicked smile. “You do know that I was a child prodigy right? With the piano? And music? As in, my father almost made me do music instead of football? Photographic memory. So don’t go challenging me to memorize Jane Austen, I may just get bored enough to do it.”

I laughed and hugged him again. I loved the way he smelled, the way he felt against my skin. I didn’t want to ever think about him graduating. It made me sick.

“And on to the rest of the date.” He grabbed my hand and led me back to the car. “You ready?”

“Sure.” I put the book on my lap, careful not to let it fall, and watched in disappointment as we made our way back to the school.

I was ready to jump out my own window when we pulled up to my dorm and Wes escorted me to the door. Had he changed his mind? Embarrassed, I told myself it was silly to feel so rejected, especially after everything he’d done. It was ridiculous! It wasn’t as if we were dating!

“So…” He braced my shoulders with his hands. “Your list said to make two real friends. Well, honestly, I think you have three right underneath your nose without even knowing it. Damn,” he said, shaking his head. “I’m good at this list thing.”

I laughed out loud just as the door opened revealing Gabe and Lisa. Lisa giggled and held open her arms. “Welcome to the rest of your date!”

“You knew?” I hugged my book to my chest and smiled.

“Of course!” Lisa pulled my arm, tugging me into the main room. “I didn’t fill Gabe in until after you left though, thus his haggard appearance.”

I gave Gabe a pitiful smile as he rolled his eyes from the couch. He still hadn’t changed out of his jeans and white t-shirt, whereas Lisa was wearing a killer dress.

“Okay, it’s time!” She clapped her hands and disappeared into the kitchen.

“So it’s like a double date?” I elbowed Wes who laughed and shot Gabe a humored look.