Chapter 2
JOSHUA
“Are you for real?”
she asked, completely caught off guard by my challenge.
I knew she was full of shit. I’d been asking around about Hayley McKenzie since middle school when she walked into my science class with a turquoise backpack. It was the first thing that caught my attention about her.
What girl in the sixth grade didn’t have a pink or purple backpack? So naturally, I was instantly drawn to her, being that turquoise was my favorite color. I was going to ask her to be my science partner, but David beat me to it, and they’d been inseparable ever since. His head was so far up her butt, I was surprised he could still get around with as many chicks as he did on a monthly basis. Supposedly, they weren’t into each other.
Although I couldn’t blame him if he was into her. She’d never been touched by anyone, and every guy at our school wanted to try to get with her just to say they were her first.
It was immediate, the desire to want to help her.
Protect her.
The second I saw her start walking into the woods alone, my feet moved on their own. I’d developed a protective quality to watch over those I loved, and there was a gravitational pull to protect Hayley at that moment. I was surprised David had left her alone long enough to get lost in the woods. He was by her side all the time. It was really annoying, and since we were by ourselves for the first time since she’d walked into my science class all those years ago, I was going to use it to my advantage and kiss her.
Be her first kiss.
The longer we stood there, the more I craved to be in her life. It was the weirdest thing. I’d never experienced anything like it before. Maybe that was why I wanted to kiss her, knowing that to a girl like her …
It would mean something.
The truth was I was over it not meaning anything to me as well. There were only so many times I could hook up with a random chick. I was born and raised in this small town where everyone knew each other. I was almost sixteen, but felt much older. Wiser.
“Want to touch me?”
I teased, smiling. “Make sure you’re not dreaming?”
“So is this how it works?”
she asked with amusement in her tone. “You save girls from jerks and then make your move?”
“Don’t mind Frank. He’s not much of a gentleman.”
“And you are?”
“I mean, my mom did raise me right, and I have a little sister I need to protect.”
“From guys like you?”
I placed my hand over my heart. “Ouch.”
“Oh please … you don’t fool me with your witty comebacks and amazing cheekbones. I know all about you too.”
“Oh, so you’ve been asking around about me, Hayley?”
“Hardly, but everyone knows about you, Joshua.”
“I don’t care what everyone knows. I want to know what you know.”
“I know that you’re one of the most popular guys at our school.”
“Yeah, that doesn’t mean shit to me.”
“I find that hard to believe.”
“Wow. You must think very highly of me?”
“I don’t think anything about you.”
I touched my heart again, looking down at my hand. “Am I bleeding? Or do you want to dig that dagger a little deeper?”
She giggled in that girly way that usually annoyed me, but coming from her it didn’t. It was cute.
“So what else do you know?”
“That you’re with a lot of girls.”
I laughed, I couldn’t help it. She was adorable. “How much longer do you plan on stalling? You could just say I’m right and you’re a liar, and then you wouldn’t have to pretend like you’re unaffected by my awesome personality.”
“I’m not stalling.”
She shook her head. “I just don’t have to prove anything to you either.”
“You’re the one who said I didn’t know what you were thinking, and I just proved to you that I do. Like right now, you’re thinking how much you want me to kiss you, but you’re worried I’m going to know that it’s your first kiss by the way your lips move with mine, so I’ll ease your mind since I’m a gentleman, and tell you that all you have to do is follow my lead. I’ll do all the work.”
I winked. “You’re welcome.”
“Ugh! You’re unbelievable. You know that?”
“Oh, I know. I’m especially unbelievable at kissing, which you’re about to find out for yourself, Hails.”
“Hails? You have a nickname for me now?”
“Would you prefer I call you sweetness?”
She arched an eyebrow. “Sweetness?”
“Yeah, I know you’re going to taste as sweet as you look.”
“Dude! You just have a witty comeback for everything, huh?”
“What can I say, pretty girl? You bring out the best in me.”
She smiled, a real smile that time as she tucked her hair behind her ear. I instantly reached over and pulled it out to tug on the ends of it, letting my fingertips graze her cheek.
“Is this one of your moves?”
“Do you want it to be?”
“I have no interest in being another one of your girls.”
I grinned. “Jealous?”
“You wish. I’m not one of your cheerleaders.”
With a hard edge, I replied, “That you aren’t.”
“Why do you want to kiss me anyway?”
“Can’t a friend just help out another friend?”
“We’re friends now? When did that happen? I don’t even like you.”
Calling her bluff, I narrowed my eyes at her. “That really hurts, Hayley.”
“You’re so full of it.”
“And you’re beautiful.”
“I don’t know if I should be offended or flattered that you’re hitting on me.”
“If I had to choose, I’d prefer the latter.”
“Well then, thank God you don’t.”
“That sassy little mouth of yours is really fucking cute.”
She was gorgeous. The girl didn’t even have to try. She was naturally stunning. I just stood there in awe of her. There was something about the way she was looking at me that truly had my mind reeling with what her lips would feel like against mine.
“I guess letting you kiss me could be like a thank you for saving me.”
“I didn’t save you. I protected you.”
“What’s the difference?”
“You don’t need saving, Hayley. You’re a survivor all on your own.”
Her face paled, understanding I knew more than she assumed I would. I didn’t know what was worse. Her pretending like she didn’t want me to kiss her, or her wanting me to. I couldn’t help noticing the look in her eyes. They spoke volumes, roping me in, taking hold of my mind, and not letting go. I was so fucking conflicted. The effect she was having on me, and we’d only just spoken for the first time.
What was happening?
As if reading my mind, she changed the subject. “Frank’s going to talk smack. You know that, right?”
“Good. Let him run his mouth. It will keep other jerks away from you too.”
“But not you?”
Unable to hold back any longer, I coaxed, “I’m going to kiss you now, Hayley.”
I waited a couple of seconds for her to object, and when she didn’t, I leaned forward, closing the small distance between us. Wanting to touch her skin, my hands reached up and grabbed ahold of her cheeks. The smell of her assaulted my senses as I softly claimed her lips, laying my mouth right on hers. Her eyes tightly shut, her breathing hitched, and her arms fell to her sides. Right from the start, I could tell she had no idea what she was doing.
Her lips were smooth against mine, and I could feel her heart drumming so fast against my chest. The desire to ruin her for every other guy was as real as the feelings I was experiencing toward her.
Slowly, I parted my lips, pulling her in closer, and she followed my lead, matching the same rhythm I’d set. My tongue touched her lips before she did the same, leaving the craziest sensation in her wake. I pulled back my tongue, and she understood what I wanted, what I sought. She gently slid hers into my eager mouth.
My tongue did the same as hers, turning this kiss into something more than I thought it would be.
I was losing myself in her.
From her lips to her eyes, to the sounds she was making.
Words couldn’t describe what was happening at that moment between us. The feelings she stirred with each stroke of our tongues. Feelings I didn’t think were possible to experience. That I didn’t even think existed.
I didn’t want to stop kissing her.
It was surreal.
Consuming.
And I wanted more.
When another soft moan escaped her mouth, I pecked her lips one last time before gradually pulling away. Already missing her touch. Incoherent thoughts ran rapidly through my mind.
I was grinning down at her as her eyes fluttered open, not removing my hands from the sides of her face. My infatuated stare hadn’t changed—if anything it was worse.
Murmuring against her lips, I rasped, “Like I said, you’ve never been kissed until now. Until me.”