“You really oughta put that engagement story in a book,” Lily added as we headed for the dining room. “It’s ridiculously cute. You’re solucky.”
“Yeah,” I said absently, watching the door to the men’s room swing closed. “Yeah, I am.”
16
Kieran
The soundof Felix’s laughter seemed to wrap around me the whole way back to his apartment, bright and ringing and bouncing off the pavement and the buildings.
I loved hearing him laugh.
“I can’t believe they had a cake shaped like your books!” I said as we stepped into the elevator to head up to his apartment.
This was aniceapartment building, and Felix deserved it. Every inch of it, every polished window and spotless floor and every shiny new button on the recently-upgraded elevator.
“That was so embarrassing,” Felix said, laughing as he leaned back against the elevator wall. “I can’t believeyouspilled your drink on Colin. On purpose!”
“On purpose?” I asked, trying to look as innocent as possible. “As if I’d do that. No, that was a genuine accident. I’ve always been clumsy.”
“Oh yeah, you were the one always falling off your bike,” Felix said, eyes glittering with laughter. “No sense of balance. Lucky you always had me to kiss your scraped knee better.”
I’d been the one kissinghisscraped knees better. Always.
“Thank you,” Felix continued, sincere this time. “For getting rid of him.”
I shrugged. “What boyfriends are for, right?”
“You’re not really my boyfriend,” Felix said.
My stomach dropped as the elevator stopped at Felix’s floor.
Without thinking, I reached out and pressed the hold button. This couldn’t wait. I knew what I wantednow, and if I waited even one second, I’d lose my nerve.
“What if I wanted to be?”
Felix stared at me, wide-eyed, glancing between my finger on the elevator button and my face.
Was I scaring him? I’d just moved so close, I was trapping him in here, and I was bigger than him now, too big to overpower. Maybe this was terrifying, maybe this wasworsethan Colin’s subtle intimidation, maybe…
“For the night?” he asked, voice thick with uncertainty.
I swallowed.
“Yeah. Tonight.”
And tomorrow, and probably the next day, too.
Felix relaxed, moved my hand away from the hold button, and dragged me down the hall.
* * *
Kissing Felixwhen hewantedit and was expecting it was a whole different experience.
He was trapped again, between my body and his bedroom wall, warm and alive against me everywhere we were touching, fingers curled into my half-open shirt.
Definitelynot afraid.
Nervous excitement like I hadn’t felt in years welled up in the pit of my stomach, tight and warm and just this side of too much. This was like my first time all over again.
