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Her eyes give me the permission I need to cup her cheek in my hand and feel the soft skin of her face. I want my hands in her hair, pulling through the wild tangle, but I’m getting ahead of myself.
“I’m sorry. I’ve been thinking about doing this since my missed opportunity in the theater.”
She inhales a ragged breath. “Opportunity for what?” Her voice shakes, but I understand why she needs me to be clear about what I want.
“I should’ve kissed you when I had the chance. Now I’m not sure I can ask for a redo.”
“You can ask.” Her voice is soft, breathy. It looks like it takes effort to fill her lungs and exhale the air slowly. She slides her hand up my arm, and even through my shirt her fingers heat my skin as they roll over it, massaging each muscle as she goes. When she reaches my bicep, she squeezes.
I tilt her head up to face mine and lean forward. We’re only inches apart, just like in the movie theater, only now we don’t have the excuse of being seated close to each other. Now, I have her this close because it’s where I want her to be.
“Okay, that was a lie, just now.”
She flinches but doesn’t back up. “What was?”
“When I said I’ve been thinking about it since the movie theater. The truth is, I’ve been thinking about kissing you for the past four days. It’s…all I can think about, if I’m being completely honest.”
“Always be completely honest. Please.” She moves an inch closer. Her features blur, and I’m more aware of her scent—all fresh grapefruit and spring grass.
I pause a moment to take her in, just like this, because everything will change in an instant. I’ll gladly tear down thebrittle threads of friendship and replace them with every gut instinct I’ve had about her.
“Last chance to tell me you don’t want this.”
She shakes her head.
My heart thunders in my chest, and I blink hard against the last shreds of doubt. “Fuck, PJ. I want you so goddamn bad it hurts.” The low growl of my voice sounds like a lion with a deer in its sights.
I lean an inch closer, savoring the moment before our lips meet.
We’re too close to see a damn thing, so I close my eyes and wrap my other hand around her cheek. Cupping her face, I brush my lips softly against hers and hear the small moan of approval.
This…it’s everything I’ve been wanting for days and now…
“There you are!” Archer’s voice cuts through the cool air like a scythe, sharp enough to draw blood. Just like the daggers in my eyes when my head whips around to look at him.
Fuck.
I pull my hands from PJ’s face in a startled instant and take a step back. In the dim pathway light, it’s hard to see, but I try to clock Archer’s expression to discern what he may have heard or seen.
The grape arbor with hanging leaves and fruit obscures the area where we’re standing from the pathway Archer walked to get here. His reaction to us standing there looking like two frightened deer reveals nothing. He grins like a Halloween pumpkin.
If he suspects anything, he doesn’t show it. Smile wide, he surveys the two of us. PJ took a step back the moment my hands fell from her face and is looking at the ground, holding her hand over her cheek where mine was just moments earlier.
What I wouldn’t give to have my hand there now. It feels awkward and cold hanging by my side.
“So…what’s up, guys?” Archer asks, a twinge of irony in his voice, as though he’s caught us in a revealing position, but he knows it’s not how it looks.
Not anymore, asshole.
“N-nothing. Just coming back from a movie,” PJ says, her voice raspy. She clears her throat, and I watch Archer, waiting for him to put the pieces together. But he seems clueless about walking in on the most obvious scene of his best friend about to make out with his sister.
The guy has a degree from Stanford, and he’s dumb as a rock when it comes to noticing shit.
“Oh, you went to St. Helena?”
“Yeah. Rom-com festival,” I say. Like he cares.
He nods. “Oh. Okay.” He looks from me to PJ and back. “Thanks for entertaining him.” He nods at PJ, and it annoys me how he seems to be dismissing her as my babysitter.
