I swallowed hard. “Have you ever…?” I started to ask, unable to say the whole thing.Have you ever kissed a guy before?
He knew what I meant. “Yes.”
I glanced at the floor.Well, I haven’t, I thought, but didn’t say anything. Nothing had ever been more obvious.
“But I have never wanted to kiss anyone,” Luke continued, voice quieter this time, “as much as I want to kissyou.”
I lifted my head, and our eyes met. “Really?”
“Charlie.” He gave me a long look. “You’re a moron.”
My heart throbbed.
“You’re contagious,” I said.
“You said you didn’t care,” he said back.
I took a deep breath. He was right; I didn’t care. Not even a little bit. “Okay.”
Luke nodded. “Okay.”
“So how should we…?”
Luke smiled and shook his head, then slid an arm around my side to pull me close, close enough to feel his heartbeat. His chest against mine. “You do way too much thinking,” he murmured after holding me for a moment. He was so warm and steady that my eyes started to drift shut. “Relax, and let this happen.” He knocked his forehead against mine. “All right?”
Eyes closed, I nodded.
“Good,” he said, and then I opened my eyes in time to catch his grin before his lips landed on mine.
And just like him, they were warm and steady and somehow already so familiar. But my legs collapsed out of nowhere, and I fell back against his closed door, banging my head and dragging Luke down with me. A flailing mess of arms and legs, we kept kissing. Luke mumbled something unintelligible, and I mumbled something unintelligible back.
Whatever it was, I knew we were in agreement.
I went into town early the next morning. Brunch in Addison didn’t start until 11:00 a.m., but Pandora’s opened at 7:00. Predictably, Luke was passed out when I got to his room, armed with coffee and breakfast sandwiches. “Sausage-egg-and-cheese on a cinnamon-sugar bagel,” I’d ordered, remembering it was his favorite. “And make that two, please.”
I knew his door was unlocked, because he’d asked me to turn out the lights on my way out last night. I put our bag of riches on his desk and took all of three steps over to his bed. I crouched down and touched his arm. “Hey,” I whispered.
Luke’s brown eyes snapped open so fast, and I saw his body tense up. “Holy shit,” he mumbled when he realized it was me. “You are a psychopath.”
I cocked my head. “Did I forget to mention that last night?”
“I don’t remember it coming up, no.” He rolled his eyes. “Otherwise, I’d like to think I would’ve at least locked the door.”
“Oh, that wouldn’t have done anything.” I unbuttoned my coat and pulled off my boots. “I know how to pick locks.”
“As every psychopath should.”
“If they want to be able to hack it.” I nodded, and then stood there for a second before Luke pushed back his covers and moved over to make room for me. He grinned.
“Get in here.”
I grinned back and climbed in with him. He pulled the comforter back up as I rolled onto my side so we could share his pillow. Then he quickly kissed my cheek, not even my cheek—more like the corner of my mouth. I felt a deep tug. Still freaking out somewhat, but also excited. Here I was, in bed with a guy. I was kissing a guy—Luke. Finally.
I was me.
“Good morning,” Luke whispered.
“Good morning,” I whispered back.
