Page 34 of Whispered Promises

ROSY

We reach my door, and my heart pounds a quick staccato in my chest. My palms feel sweaty, and panic keeps flickering through me over whether he can feel the dampness. In between those flickers, though, there is something else… Heat over having his hand curled around mine.

It was hard to tell whether he was interested or not. He’s not obvious in his flirting like Max is; instead, he’s quiet and watchful. But when he wrapped his pinky around mine earlier, my stomach twisted in knots, hyperaware of the simple touch.

He makes me feel intoxicated and breathless at the same time.

Turning to him, my gaze drops down to our joined hands, and I flounder, trying to decide what to say. The contact is both too much and not enough.

I think I want more.

His hand reaches out and cups my chin, tilting it up so we’re staring at each other, and a coarse thumb tugs the lip I didn’t know I was gnawing on away from my teeth. I glance up into his eyes, but his gaze is fixed on my mouth. My tongue slips out, soothing the bitten skin and wetting my lip. His breath stutters.

Mouth parting, I try to summon some words to end the awkward moment of silence, but I come up blank. The palm holding my hand tugs me forward into his space, and the air puffs out of my lungs.

Nate cranes my head further up, then he leans down. A thrill skitters down my spine, but he stops right before our lips collide, and I sway forward, desperate for a taste.

“Say yes, Rosy.” His breath caresses my parted lips, and I inhale, sucking his words inside.

“Yes.” It rushes out on a quiet exhale.

His mouth closes the distance and covers mine, not attacking but dominant. His tongue slides into my mouth and lays claim. Ownership; that’s what it feels like, like he’s taken claim and decided that I’m his.

The kiss finishes long before I’m ready. He steps back, his hand on my chin the only touch remaining as he strokes his thumb across my puffy, swollen lips.

Blinking rapidly, I try to calm my thundering heartbeat, as Nate casually leans against the wall, like we didn’t just share an earth-shattering first kiss.

The keys fumble my hand, and it takes an awkward number of tries before I can get the right key in the lock and open my door.

My heart lurches when I turn around and find him peering down at me, his bulk braced against the frame. He reaches out and strokes a thick digit down the side of my jaw, then grips me firmly and plants a lingering kiss against my lips.

“Goodnight, Rosy.”

He steps back and pulls the door closed with him, effectively closing my own door on me.

Cupping my jaw with my palm, I try to recall the feel of his touch on my skin again. Tingles charge through me, and a startled, excited noise bursts out of me. I quickly cover my mouth as the noise turns into a muffled laugh.

I just kissed Nate. Twice.

Fuck, no. He kissed me.

“That didn’t look platonic.”

Jumping at the sudden voice, my hand flies to my chest.

“Steph, you scared the shit out of me,” I rasp, trying to calm my racing heart.

Being around Nate, having him kiss me, then being scared by Steph all in mere minutes can’t be good for it. Willing it to return to normal, I push off from the door and walk down the hallway.

“Not my fault you were Nate-dreaming away. Honestly, not the one I thought you would have gone for. A bit too surly and grouchy for me. Noah has that clean-cut-but-will-ravish-you-in-the-bedroom-with-all-the-orgasms vibe about him. Or I bet Max would be up for a lot of fun. That man has so much energy, I bet he would go all night and even compete with himself.” She mockingly fans her face with a hand as we step into the kitchen.

I hand over a package of leftovers, then turn and grab a glass, filling it up with water before hopping onto a stool at the island.

“Do you want me to get their numbers for you?” I offer, but the idea has my gut roiling in protest, and that makes me feel guilty.

“Ew, no. I want them for you. I will stick to tits and vaginas, thank you very much.” Disgust crinkles her face, and she pretends to gag. “But I still want to know what led up to that kiss. How was it?”

I hide my face in my hands. “I don’t even know. One minute he was holding my hand and the next he was asking if he could kiss me. I said yes, then his lips hit mine, and my brain short-circuited,” I finish, peering out from between my fingers at her.