As sweet as a candy apple I want to eat.
I wrap her finger in my fist, tightening the arm slung around her waist and drop my face to hers. I’m not missing a perfect opportunity this time.
My lips hover over hers and she’s about to refute what I said, but instead I swallow her words with my mouth.
Her lush lips soften against mine as her warm hand slips around the back of my neck. It’s a gentle, lingering kiss, yet it holds power and enough electricity to light up this dim room.
Dropping her finger, I cup her jaw in my palm. Stroking my thumbs over the soft, dewy skin of her cheek, I feel a smile form across her face.
I don’t want to end the kiss, but once again the voice of Lola interrupts us from down the hallway. Just before she throws open the door, I drop my arms and Brin steps back from my embrace.
“Hey, guys, I’ve got to head home. I’ll catch ya later! And thanks for helping us, Preston.”
I clear my throat, my voice hoarse and a little raspy. “Yeah, see ya ‘round, Lola.”
She snaps her fingers as if she just remembered something and then points an index finger at me. “We’ll see you out on the ice this weekend when you pop my girl’s hockey cherry.”
Lola snickers and waves goodbye as Brin squeaks out a noise of embarrassment. “Bye, Lo!”
The moment is over, but I can still feel her body heat and don’t want to lose this connection we seem to have.
Brinly lets out a long breath and lays a hand across her heart. “My heart is still beating so fast.”
I grin. “Is that from the scare I gave you? Or the kiss?”
She bites down on her full bottom lip. “Both? But probably the kiss.”
“Good. Mine is too.” I snag her wrist and bring her palm to my heart. I swallow hard. “I really want to kiss you again.”
“Oh, well, um, so…” She suddenly seems unsure and scans the room uneasily. My heart drops to my toes. “I think we should probably go.”
Well, fuck. I guess she’s not as interested in me as I’d hoped. I thought I felt a connection, but maybe it’s only one-sided.
“Yeah, sure. Okay. If that’s what you want.”
I turn to usher her out toward the hallway, but she stops me with a gentle squeeze of my hand.
“Wait, Preston…I, um…it’s not that I don’t want you to kiss me. I do.”
My heart skyrockets once again and a thrill shoots down my spine. I smile at her, gazing into her bright violet eyes.
“Brinly, would you go out with me?”
“On a date?” she asks, like she’s never been asked that question before. She drops her head to the floor.
I gently cup her chin between my finger and thumb and tip it back up, searching her eyes for the answer. If she’s going to turn me down, I want us to be eye-to-eye when I receive the crushing blow.
“Unless you don’t want to? Or you’re dating someone else?”
She giggles nervously. “Um, no…I mean yes. I mean no, I’m not dating anyone else.”
I’m a little confused and have no idea what she means. Tilting my head, I chuckle. “Okay, you lost me. Is that a yes, you want to go out with me? Or no, you don’t?”
“Yes, I do want to go out with you, but I’m not sure I can. I mean, I’m your tutor and I’m not sure if there are any rules against it.”
Ah. Now I see where this is going.
I move a step closer so we’re practically chest to chest and lean down, placing a kiss to her temple. When I hear the short gasp of air from her mouth, I move my lips to the shell of her ear. With her hair up, I have access to all that soft sensitive skin at the base of her neck. I barely touch it with my lips, skimming over it with a feathery touch. She shivers against me and her skin practically singes me with how hot she is.
