Page 91 of Last First Kiss

“I’ve had better days.”

Jamie tilts his head. “With me?”

Yes, Jordan thinks to reply, but his mind drifts to places it shouldn’t go. “Today was good,” he says.

“Like old times?”

There’s something strange in Jamie’s voice. A want. A hope.

Jordan doesn’t think about it too long before he says, “Yeah, like old times, Jamie.”

They’re stuck like that. Quiet under a crescent moon and cooling night air. Smiling at each other.

“Hey,” Jamie says again.

His grip tightens around Jordan’s elbow. He pulls gently. Jordan goes like he’s caught in the tide.

When he’s inches away, Jamie says, “I’ve wanted to do something for a while.”

“What?”

There’s barely any space between their bodies. Jordan’s stomach is in knots. He’s been in this position before.

He told himself he’d never be in it again.

“I’m gonna kiss you,” Jamie says, voice scratchy, rough. “If that’s okay?”

Alarms go off in Jordan’s brain. Red flags everywhere. This went bad last time. Really,reallybad. But when Jamie’s tongue—stained dark red from his popsicle—flicks over his lips, every color in his eyes shrinking away against his black pupils, Jordan shuts down his warnings.

Systems offline.

“Is this”—Jordan pauses, inhaling—“for practice again?”

Jamie smirks. “Do you still need it, young apprentice?”

“I might.”

“Hmm. I am a good teacher.”

Jordan snorts. “Overestimating your capabilities again.”

Jamie’s eyes grow darker. He eases Jordan that last inch. His other hand angles Jordan’s jaw up.

“Let’s see what you’ve learned.”

The pressure of Jamie’s mouth isn’t like ten years ago. It’s not tentative, guiding. This ishunger. A promise. Jamie’s kiss is comforting in a way Jordan can’t explain, so he chooses to concentrate on other things.

Like soft lips. The way Jamie’s tongue flicks the seam of Jordan’s mouth apart. Sharp tastes hitting him—tart raspberry and bright lime.

There’s an ungodly noise bouncing around the back of Jordan’s throat. He tries to keep it in. But Jamie is just so…

Incredible.

Jordan has kissed other people since Jamie and Yazzie.Nothing he’s initiated. Or enjoyed. He thought it was what he was supposed to do.

None of them were long, drawn-out, meaningful kisses. Just quick pecks. Ones where all Jordan thought about was how empty it felt.

It’s not like that with Jamie.