2
I close the door behind me and switch on the light. It’s a small storeroom, but not tiny. Cleaning supplies fill the shelves. There’s no window. Nerves invade my stomach. I lean my back against the door and close my eyes for a second. Am I making a mistake? What if I feel worse afterward?
But I don’t want to worry about afterward. Not when I’m feeling lonely now .
The room sways a little. Maybe I’m tipsier than I thought.
In an effort to dislodge the sliver of doubt that’s crept in, I take a deep, calming breath and remind myself that Bobby is attractive and fun and we like each other. I’ve stayed on friendly terms with all my old boyfriends. A few of them have even asked me for dating advice and I’m happy to help.
Anyway, it’s not as if Bobby and I haven’t kissed before. Admittedly, those kisses were nice, but they didn’t set me on fire. Maybe we’ve both learned a thing or two in the two months we’ve been apart.
Wait. What if someone walks in? I straighten, nervously chewing my lip.
Perhaps I should turn the light off. That way, if someone does open the door, the darkness might give Bobby and me a couple of seconds to compose ourselves.
Excitement filters through my veins. I’m proud of myself for embracing the whole cloak-and-dagger aspect of this encounter.
It’s also easier to be brave in the dark since a part of me is afraid I’ll chicken out.
I switch off the light and take a step back.
Inky blackness engulfs me.
Wow, it’s dark. Like really, really dark. I can barely see my hand in front of my face.
Suddenly, this feels like a bad idea. I’m about to flip the light back on when the door abruptly opens and a tall form slips inside. The door is quickly closed.
Well, Bobby didn’t waste any time.
Taking it as a sign not to switch the light on, I square my shoulders. This is the moment for New Adventurous Kenzie to shine.
“Hey, you,” I murmur.
I hear a sharp intake of breath. “What—” His voice sounds deeper than usual.
I don’t allow Bobby to finish. Instead, like I’m metaphorically seizing the moment, I reach out to where I think he’s standing and grab his shirt. I curl my fingers into the soft fabric and pull him closer.
“Uh...”
The surprise in his voice has satisfaction ghosting through me. Bobby hasn’t seen this side of me before. Come to think of it, I haven’t either. My only wish is that he’d stop trying to start a conversation. We have limited time here.
I press my body against his. My fingers remain curled in his shirt, holding him against me while I let my other hand graze the nape of his neck.
His breath catches and something loosens inside me.
I press myself closer, feeling the solid strength of him against me. My hand travels across his broad shoulders, down to the muscles in his back. Surprise flickers through me. Has Bobby been working out? He’s so much more muscular than I remember.
“Look, I—”
I rise up on my toes and my lips chase his, silencing him.
His body remains strangely tense, but I feel the exact moment the tension leaves him and he finally responds the way I want him to.
His hand finds my hip and he pulls me against him.
My pulse races at the close contact. He’s warm and strong.
And he smells so good, a new intoxicating mix of cedar and soap.
My lips brush his, toying and teasing. Then his mouth opens to mine, and suddenly the playing is over. The instant his tongue touches mine, fire ignites inside me.
He deepens the kiss and his fingers fist in my hair, angling my head in the exact way he wants it to gain better access to my mouth. The expert sweep of his tongue unravels me. He knows exactly what he’s doing.
Any illusion I have that I’m in control is gone. Bobby takes over in a way he never did while we were dating. He’s definitely picked up some skills.
I like it. I like it a lot.
Kissing Bobby had always felt like gentle waves lapping against the shore of my body, comfortable and non-threatening. But this kiss is a tidal wave crashing over me, sweeping my feet out from under me, and I’m tumbling into the headiness of the moment.
As if sensing how unbalanced I am, he wraps a strong arm around my waist and hauls me up against him. My hands slide up his chest and I feel the strong, steady beat of his heart under my palm.
A groan slips out of him, low and deep, a little wild. I realize he’s as affected as I am.
He backs me up and pins me against one of the shelving units. The edge digs into my back, but I don’t care. He tastes like champagne and chocolate and the most delicious kind of madness, one that invites no thought or reason, only pure sensation. Heat builds and spreads under my skin.
I’ve never been kissed with such expertise before. Somewhere deep inside my brain, a tiny warning bell is going off, but it’s so faint and frankly irritating that I ignore it. And then it’s drowned out by the feverish roaring of the blood in my veins.
My body is aching and throbbing and...needy.
I need...I have no idea what I need. I need this to never end. I need reality to never intrude.
The world tunnels to this one moment. This one kiss. Nothing and no one else exists beyond this dark storeroom.
Then Bobby lifts his mouth from mine.
And a deep voice says, “Not what I was expecting when I stepped in here, but a nice surprise nonetheless.”
Shock freezes me for a solid five seconds. It takes every ounce of my fragile self-control to swallow the scream that rises up.
Because that voice does not belong to Bobby.