I sit up and face him, running my hand through his hair. "Yeah, you are pretty gross."
"I know. My girlfriends had me running a marathon over the last 24 hours."
My hands freeze in his hair at the sound of the wordgirlfriendleaving his lips. My instinct is to run away, to pull myself out of his arms and remind him who I am. But I’m too blissed out and too tired to care.
"That's pretty embarrassing if it takes you 24 hours to run a marathon."
He tightens his arms around my waist, pulling me onto his lap so that I’m straddling him. "Better watch that smart mouth."
"Or what?" My hands slide from his hair to his shoulders.
His bare skin under my hands still makes my fingertips tingle. It makes me want to wrap him around me like a cocoon and never leave his embrace. I was so distracted bytouching him that I didn't notice him staring. When my eyes finally meet his, there's something in them that he's not saying. Unspoken words that he seems almost afraid to utter. Usually, I have a hard time reading men–or maybe I just don't care to–but with Kass, I feel oddly in-tune with his emotions. It lights a fire in me that gives me a second wind. I’m suddenly aware of my body again.
"Or what?" I repeat.
The tiniest hint of a smile turns up the corner of his lips. I'm sure if I wasn't so close I wouldn't even notice.
"Or I'll kiss you."
I feel my stomach drop. It's a feeling I'm not all that familiar with. Things rarely take me off guard. I suddenly become aware of how tight his grip on me is. I pull back ever so slightly to test the strength of his hold. It doesn't budge.
He could have kissed me while I was fully restrained. I couldn’t have stopped him. But he didn’t. He waited until I had the choice.
"Would that be such a bad thing?" He whispers.
Yes. No. I don't fucking know!
At this point it's pretty ridiculous that we haven't kissed. It's become a battle of wills, but not between me and Kass. It's solely between me and the voice in my head. One part of me is screaming that it's a horrible idea. The other part is shuttering at the thought of his lips on mine, of his tongue in my mouth.
"I don't know."
"Why don't you know?"
One of his hands slowly strokes my back. It's comforting, but only until I remember that I'm not supposed to be getting comfortable with him. But fuck, wasn't that what this whole day was? I was so comfortable that I forgot I wasn't fully in control. I'm used to always being in control.That's why when I do kiss other guys or occasionally spend extended periods of time with sexual partners, it doesn't matter. As long as I'm in control, I know that it won't lead to anything more.
Kass just spent god knows how long proving to me that I don’t always need to be in control to have a good time.
I'm always the cat, never the mouse. But with Kass, sometimes I'm not in control and sometimes I am. This give and take is foreign to me. Right now, I feel like I'm the cat, but Kass is the dog. We could either be the best of friends or absolutely ruin each other’s lives. The thing is, there's no way of knowing until you put them together.
"Kiss me," I whisper.
His hand halts on my back. "You sure?"
"No," is what I say, but my nervous laugh gives me away.
Instead of asking again like I expect him to, he slides his hands up my back and pulls the other one forward to cup the side of my face.
Shit. Fuck.
I watch his Adam's apple bob as he swallows hard. His tongue peaks out to lick his lips, almost as if to say,I want this if you do. Give me a sign.
I lick my lips in reply to his silent plea.
He pulls me towards him, but he wouldn't need to. My body is like a magnet to him, and I can't fight the pull.
Our lips brush for a moment before he whispers against my lips, "Not here."
"What?"
