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He patted my shoulder and pulled me even tighter against him beneath the blankets. Without reading too much into it, I snuggled into him.
“Make sure you tell them how totally fucking hot I looked tonight.”
“For sure,” he chuckled.
“And how great I was at flirting and talking. And the same thing for reading and giving off signs.”
“You’ll get credit,” Axel assured me. His grin turned fiendish. “Maybe. If I remember.”
I climbed further up along his body, until my elbows were resting on his chest. Then, without warning, I shot both hands beneath the blankets and tickled him mercilessly.
The reaction was instantaneous. Axel bucked wildly, throwing my body into the air. I came crashing down on him, twisted sideways, then rolled off the couch onto the floor.
And in my vain efforts to keep from falling, I dragged him with me.
Axel’s body rolled directly over mine, where gravity took over. For a split second I expected to be crushed beneath an entire mountain of warm man-muscle. And for a fraction of that split second, I wasn’t necessarily opposed to it, either.
Then he locked his arms, and saved us both at the very last minute.
“Damn, Ari…”
We were body to body now, face to face. I could feel Axel’s hips and thighs, pressing against mine. The comforting weight of his lower body gave me involuntary tingles, as his two big arms remained locked, keeping his sculpted chest hovering just over my own.
There was a moment of silence and inactivity, as the surprise faded and our eyes remained locked, searching each other. In that moment I imagined something terrible. Terrible and terrifying and yet absolutely amazing, all at the same time…
I could see myself kissing him.
It would be so easy, too. Our mouths were right there, hovering against each other’s. I could totally kiss this man, smashing my lips against his and letting our tongues go wild. Even just for a few seconds, or half a minute, or—
Only you CAN’T, Ariana! the voice in my head screamed. No way!
I even had an excuse if I wanted it. Multiple excuses, really. I could say that I slipped, and then rolled with things in the heat of the moment. Or I could just make out with him shamelessly right here on the floor, kissing him over and over… and in the end I could chalk it up to more role-playing, and the two of us still being out on our ‘date.’
There were a hundred good reasons I should kiss Axel in this once-in-a-million moment. And there were thousand more, banging around in the forbidden recesses of my mind.
But then suddenly he was up again, pushing himself to his feet. I stared forlornly at the flex of those incredible biceps and triceps. I reveled in the delicious pressure of his body pressing against my groin, as he pushed off me and rose to his feet.
And in that instant I knew it was all over.
“Ummm… sorry,” was all he could say. “That could’ve been bad.”
I wanted to agree but I couldn’t say anything. I was too far gone.
“I mean I could’ve broken your arm,” he added hastily. “Or worse, your ribs. Or we could’ve banged heads and gotten stitches. Or—“
“I get it.”
He reached down to help me up, and we were suddenly face to face again. But the moment was gone. Whatever strange chemistry that existed down near the floor, when our bodies were touching, had completely dissipated.
“Do you want popcorn?”
His smile was innocent now. His intentions, too.
“Yeah, sure,” I breathed, sinking slowly back into the couch. Part of me felt an overwhelming sense of relief. But also, the bitter disappointment of something I couldn’t quite put my finger on.
“Popcorn would be nice.”
~ 12 ~
