I reached for his hand and held it there. My heart was beating so hard and fast that I was certain he could hear it. I closed my eyes for a minute, holding his big hand in my small one.
“Do you ever think about kissing?” I opened my eyes and was horrified that I’d said those words aloud. What was I thinking?
“About kissing? Kissing who? Random people?” He smirked.
My cheeks heated with embarrassment and I pulled my hand away. “Ignore me. I don’t know what I’m talking about.”
I turned on my heels and started to walk away, because I wanted to go bury my head under my pillow and die a slow death of humiliation.
“Ace,” he called out, and I turned around to face him. “Don’t leave like that. Come here.”
I slowly made my way back to him but kept some distance between us this time. “What’s up?”
He chuckled. “I was just messing with you.”
“About?”
He cocked his head to the side. “I think about kissing you, too.”
My heart raced faster, and butterflies swarmed my belly. I wiped the palms of my hands on my jeans because even though it was cold out, I was suddenly sweating. “You do?”
“All the fucking time.” He smiled.
What was the problem then? I’d just given him the green light.
I stepped closer. “Okaaaayy…”
“Listen. Just because we want to, does not mean that we should.”
I let out a long breath I hadn’t even realized I’d been holding. “Why?”
“Because I’m not that guy. There are things you don’t know about me—about my family. And I’m leaving for school in a few months, so I couldn’t give you what you deserve.” His gaze locked with mine under the moonlight, and I swore in that instant Jett Stone was the most beautiful boy I’d ever seen in my life.
“I’m not asking for forever, I’m asking for a kiss.” I crossed my arms over my chest because I was determined to make this happen. Just this once. I wanted to feel his mouth on mine. Run my hands through his hair and feel his hard body pressed against mine. Hell, I’d been dreaming about it for weeks, and now that we were here. This close.
He studied me and reached for my hand. “That’s not who you are. We both know that.”
“I have kissed one boy in my life, and he promised me this grand future that I didn’t even want. One that he clearly didn’t want either. I’m tired of planning for tomorrow. Maybe I just want to kiss you today—and not have a plan. What are you so afraid of?” I saw the panic in his dark gaze, and I wanted to know. I needed to know.
“I’m afraid that once I start kissing you, I won’t want to stop.” He tugged me closer, wrapping a hand around my waist. My sweater crept up a bit and his fingers grazed my skin.
“That doesn’t sound so terrible,” I whispered, and it came out all shaky and laced with need. My breaths were coming hard and fast and he hadn’t even kissed me. My mouth went completely dry as he held me against him, staring down at me with his dark, beautiful gaze. I felt just how much he wanted me as his desire pressed against my belly.
“Maybe we just take it one day at a time.” His fingers moved beneath my chin and tipped it up until my eyes locked with his.
“I’m fine with that. And if you want to kiss me tomorrow, I’m sure that would be fine too.” I laughed and shook my head because I couldn’t believe what a dork I was.
“Oh, you’re already wanting more when I haven’t even tasted that sweet mouth yet?”
Oh my god.
Jett Stone had a way with words, and I was all about it.
“You can kiss me whenever you want as long as you aren’t kissing anyone else at the same time, because ewwwww… that’s gross. Have you been kissing anyone else?” I asked, because I needed to know.
“Not since you came to the lake and took over my quiet place.” He smirked.
Interesting. I’d been going there for almost two months.
“Okay, then. My sweet mouth is all yours,” I teased, but I could barely feel my legs anymore because I was so nervous.
“You haven’t been kissing anyone else, have you, Ace? No booty calls from Taulson?” His mouth was so close I could feel his warm breath tickle my cheek.
“I haven’t talked to him in a few weeks, and I have no desire to kiss anyone but you.”
“Yeah?” His lips grazed mine and my eyes fluttered shut. His hand hooked around my waist, and I was pretty sure he was fully supporting my weight because I’d lost all feeling in my legs.
“Kiss me, already,” I whispered.
His mouth crashed into mine, and he spun me around, pressing my back against the truck. He lifted my feet off the ground and my legs wrapped around his waist, keeping us at the same level and making it easier to take the kiss deeper.
My fingers tangled in his hair like they’d been itching to do, and one of his hands was pressed to my bottom, holding me in place, while the other cupped the side of my face so gently it sent chills down my spine. He took his time and tilted my head to the side as his tongue slipped in.
He tasted like peppermint and I laughed against his mouth as I thought about how he’d tortured me sucking on that candy cane during the movie.
He pulled his lips away, and I yanked at his hair to keep him in place.
“Are you laughing?” He chuckled against my mouth.
“No. You taste like a candy cane and I kept thinking about kissing you the whole time you were eating that thing during the movie.”
He rubbed his nose against mine. “Oh yeah?”
“Yeah,” I whispered.
I pulled him closer and took control of our kiss. My hips were grinding against all his hardness, and…Oh. My. God.
Nothing had ever felt so good. I could kiss this boy forever, and it still wouldn’t be long enough.
He groaned into my mouth before pulling away.
“Okay, I’d say this was a damn good first kiss,” he said, his lips still teasing mine.
Now that I’d had a taste of Jett Stone, I never wanted to stop. “Why are you stopping then?”
“Trust me, it’s not because I want to.” He started walking toward my house, still carrying me with my legs wrapped around his waist. I laughed into his neck.
“Oh my gosh, what are you doing?” I nipped at his ear with my teeth and he yelped.
“I’m walking you home after the hottest fucking kiss of my life.” His gaze locked with mine and he didn’t laugh.