“Right.” His gaze dove into her eyes and splashed around, making it harder and harder for her to think about bowling. “But if you keep it straight, the ball should go …”
She licked her lips.
“… right …” His eyes darted to her mouth. “… down …”
She lifted her chin, inviting him to kiss her with every fiber of her being. She wanted to feel his lips on hers, press her body against his, and get lost in him.
“… the middle …” He ended just a breath away, his chest going up and down with each breath.
“I think I finally understand the appeal of this game.”
His gaze intensified and his warm breath brushed her cheek.
She went weak, ready to melt into him with all she was worth, and her hold on the ball wobbled. They both jerked to take hold and save their toes once again.
“You got it?” asked Tatum, the passion still there but under control.
“I think so.” She moved into position, her chest heaving with the effort to take a full breath. Zoning in on that center pin that had mocked her all afternoon, she glared. “I am going to get you this time.” She took three measured strides forward, focused on her thumb, and released. The ball rolled faster than before, spinning like her pulse had only moments before. With a loud crash, five pins blew against the back wall.
“I did it!” She turned, finding Tatum right behind her, and launched herself into his chest, her arms wrapping around his neck. He caught her easily and spun them in a circle. He pressed a quick kiss to her lips, the impact like a thousand bowling balls knocking her over. Just as she was about to give herself over to the experience, he pulled away.
“I didn’t mean to—”
She cut him off by pressing her lips to his. He held so still. She hadn’t meant to be forward, but she had no interest in talking at the moment. Perhaps he really hadn’t meant to kiss her lips. Maybe he’d aimed for her cheek and missed?
On the verge of panicking, she put both hands on his cheeks and pulled him closer. And then his palm was on her neck and his lips took control and she was spinning with seafoam for brains and warm bones. He set her feet on the floor and kissed her with a tenderness that left her gasping. His fingertips brushed her cheeks, her arms, and her shoulders, like he was scared she wasn’t real.
They pulled back and he furrowed his brow. “That was—”
Nyssa put her finger over his lips. “If you saynice, I’m going to bowl you down this alley.” She’d kissed Prince Marius when they were thirteen and he’d called it nice.Nice. As in barely above tolerable.
She’d always wondered if theniceness was because she lacked skill or if it was because she didn’t like him in that way. Now, she understood that kissing the person you were meant to kiss forever was as natural as breathing, and much better thannice.
“It’s alane,” he corrected, his cheek lifting against hers. “Happy.” He tugged a piece of her hair. “I was going to say that was happy.”
She considered his evaluation. “I was not expecting that.”
“Neither was I. Where did you come from, Neese?”
Her purse erupted with a trumpeter’s blast. Nyssa blinked once. “The queen!” She dove for her purse. “I am so sorry. Ihaveto answer.”
“Of course.” Tatum wasn’t at all put out by the way she jumped from his arms.
Wanting to touch him, she put her hand on the back of his knee as she sat facing the phone away from him. “Hello?”
Tatum winked at her and went to bowl his frame.
“Thank goodness!” Mother sounded out of breath. She must have been in a hurry if she didn’t want to wait for the video to hook up. “What is going on? I got a 963 text from Kingston.”
Nyssa glared at the large man. She’d forgotten he was even there. Gah! He saw the whole kiss and gone and tattled on her. A 963 was code fordanger. He probably hadn’t said anything about the kiss, butwhomshe kissed andwhenwas not his concern. It was sort of her mother’s concern, but that didn’t give him the right to go blabbing to the queen and interrupting her firstrealkiss. Every kiss up to this point was a practice round for when Tatum’s lips met hers. And what a meeting it was! Her fingers and toes were still tingling.
“I’m fine, thank you for asking. How are you?” Nyssa’s cheeks burned. How embarrassing to have her private moment with Tatum witnessed. And yet, what did she expect? She may have him convinced she was just a normal island girl, but she was a princess and that’s not something that would ever go away.
“I’m not hanging up until I hear the security phrase,” replied Mother.
Nyssa rolled her eyes. She turned to the side and spoke quietly. “I believe the teakwood chairs would look wonderful in the library.”
“Thank you, darling.” Mother’s voice brightened considerably. “I’mpositiveyou will have a story to tell me later.”
