Chapter 15 #3
Not sure how much of this I trusted, and possibly vowing no more pebbles for him, I gave him the hand I’d previously shoved in my pocket.
He took it with a gentleness that surprised me, running his calloused fingers over the back before slowly turning it until my hand rested palm up in his.
Smudges of brown decorated my fingers and streaked across my palm.
There was even dirt still embedded under my fingernails.
“Oh.”
“Yeah. Not much of an issue with the glossy pages that go along with the books you were looking at, but paperbacks would have absorbed it like nobody’s business. I hadn’t decided which ones I wanted yet, so…” He shrugged.
“That makes sense.”
“Maybe, but I could have used words instead of being an asshole.” I looked away, not sure what to say, and now viscerally aware of how close we were standing with no one else around. Oh, and he was still holding my hand. “Were you serious about wanting to read one of these?”
“Yes,” I responded hastily, snapping my attention back to him.
“Okay. I took the liberty of grabbing a couple that could be some good starters.” He suddenly barked a laugh.
“Oh my God, don’t give me that face. You’re as bad as my brother.
I’m not trying to cheat you, lowball you, or think you can’t handle it.
This is no different than getting a sample of something before buying a whole freaking case. ”
I grumbled, then said louder, “I suppose that’s fair.”
“Glad you agree.” His teasing tone helped me release more of the anxiety. Should have known it wouldn’t last. “Permission to ask a potentially offensive question?”
I looked at him for a few seconds and seriously considered saying no.
Truthfully, I wasn’t sure how much more I could take today.
Much as I didn’t like to admit it, Alex would call this a “high anxiety day” for me.
I’d already had—what—three spirals today?
And it was only two in the afternoon. But between JD’s earnest expression and my burning curiosity, I shouldn’t have been surprised to hear, “Permission granted,” come out of my mouth.
He licked his lips, which was distracting as hell, especially given my current state. More than that, though, was he nervous? “Marc, have… have you ever kissed a man?” he asked quietly, dropping his gaze to where he was still holding my dirt-covered hand palm up.
That was not what I’d been expecting, not that I’d known what I was expecting, but it sure as hell wasn’t that. “No…” I replied cautiously, fearing another quagmire. “Why?”
He took a shaky breath that seemed so at odds with the picture of confidence he always presented and curled my fingers inward. “Because I’d really like to kiss you right now.” He slowly lifted my closed hand and brushed his lips along the back of my knuckles.
In nature documentaries, they always sped up the process of plants growing, but I could confirm that the actual petal bloom really did look like an explosion, albeit still not quite that fast. Also, it fucking hurt.
And I would know because that’s exactly what it felt like in my chest as JD cautiously raised his gaze to look at me.
Likely misreading my expression, he added, “It probably sounds corny as fuck, but I promise it’s really not all that different from kissing a woman. I just—”
“Green.” His stunning eyes widened, and I caught a flicker of uncertainty, so I repeated probably the only right thing I’d managed to say all day. “Green, Sergeant.”
Whatever noise was going on in the background ceased to exist as JD leaned forward.
I was so hyper-fixated on what was coming, it actually startled me a little when his lips touched mine.
Then everything ceased to exist beyond where our lips met.
I might have made a noise, but who could spare the brain cells for that when his firm mouth was moving against mine?
His lips brushed over mine once, twice, then he was pulling away.
“See, not so different.” His half-smile bordered on shyness, and he gave a self-deprecating laugh.
I scrambled for enough functioning brain cells to form a coherent sentence, slammed those fuckers together, and fisted my free hand in his polo.
“Like hell it isn’t.” I yanked him forward and smashed our mouths back together with a ferocity I didn’t know I possessed outside of a battlefield.
But I knew one thing for damn sure, kissing JD had just skyrocketed to one of my favorite things to do.
A low whistle pierced my bubble, and I might have given a death glare to the sweet young woman it emanated from.
“Sorry to interrupt, and I mean that from the bottom of my heart,” she placed a hand over said heart and added a smile for emphasis.
“I thought you’d like to know that our event’ll be startin’ soon.
I see you’ve got some books there. I could help check you out if you like.
” My face clearly had a mind of its own today, because she giggled.
“Oh no, darlin’. I can ring up the books at the checkout counter for you.
” She pointed back toward the bookstore proper and what I could now clearly see was the register, not to mention the damn exit.