Page 33 of Maneater

Excitement courses through me, and I’m barely able to catch my breath. What an incredible day this turned out to be after all.

“Well…” My cheeks hurt from grinning so hard. “Since we are technically out already—like you said—maybe we can consider this our first date?”

Darien scoots closer, his bright, hazel eyes fixed on me as if I’m all that exists in this world. I ache to touch him. He places his hand on my knee.

“Do you kiss on the first date?”

My vision grays out for a sec, but I’m not about to pass up this opportunity. He tips back his head, and I lower my lips, pausing less than an inch from his mouth. Our breath mingles, and I slip my tongue past the seam of his lips.

I tentatively taste him, struggling to let myself go and kiss him the way he deserves to be kissed. Darien clutches my shoulders, and that’s the signal I need. I delve deeper into his mouth, exploring, claiming.

I gather him onto my lap without breaking the kiss, and he goes limp in my arms. I never want to stop tasting him, want to hold him forever. Darien responds to me eagerly, answering back with his own possessive swipes.

At last, we break for air, both of us panting. His pupils are blown wide, and he makes no move to climb off me.

I smile down at him. “Was out first date a success?”

He grins. “I’ll let you know. It’s not over yet.”

And with that, Darien takes the lead and steals my breath away with another kiss.

Chapter Eleven

Darien

“No, for real. Everything’s going great. I even met someone.” My voice comes out sounding stupidly giddy, and I clear my throat.

“That was fast.” Kade grunts. “When’s the wedding?”

We’re finally chatting online, which is always a treat with Kade. It always seems as if he’s unaware that I can’t see everything he’s doing. Right now he’s picking his teeth and licking his fingers in between shoving handfuls of chips into his mouth.

I sigh. “Don’t be ridiculous. It’s still early days.”

Was it? I frown. It’s not like we’re doing the deed or anything. Well, maybe a little of the deed, but only making out. Mostly, we’ve been getting to know each other with him showing me all the special places he likes to hang out in his territory.

And he’s only shifted one other time at my insistence. I could sense how eager he was to be himself, to revel in his natural state. I knew he was holding back on my account, and I was having none of it. I want our relationship to enhance our lives, not limit them.

It’s been an awesome week. Even the magic aspect that he’s slowly introducing to me is now more fascinating than scary.

“Um, hello? Am I talking to myself?”

Kade’s voice snaps me back to the present. “Sorry. I got distracted.”

He snorts. “Yeah, I bet you were. So out with it. What’s her name?”

My gut tightens. Oh. I’ve never shared that I’ve been questioning my sexuality for the past few years. If I’m being one hundred percent real with myself, which I’m probably not, it’s more like since high school.

“Umm…” I fuss with my pillows as if I’m having trouble getting comfortable. Mentally, yes. “Remember last year when we were at the county fair, and Gia said the lead singer of the tribute band was hot and I agreed?”

“Random, but okay.”

“Do you also remember how much you teased me about it?”

Kade’s brow furrows. “I guess? I tease you about a lot of shit. You’re just now getting offended by that?”

I rub my forehead. Kade has been my best friend since middle school. Why can’t I open up about who I am? My shoulders slump at the realization I haven’t been honest with him for over ten years. So why do I feel the sudden urge to blurt out the truth?

Because what you feel for Rex is real.