Page 8 of Your Kiss Is On My List

“You didn’t force me. Besides it was my idea for you to buy it. How gauche would that be if I forced you to spend your money?” She laughs. She always enjoys my teasing, never taking offense like some girls.

“We’re a couple of extremely gauche people aren’t we?” she says. I grin and my arm goes around her reflexively, like it’s the most natural thing in the world. Her eyes dance and the déjà vu is so strong, pulling me back to carefree days before the kiss, that the pressure I didn’t realize was there releases from my chest.

After the swell of pleasure, I’m left with that same longing, that same need for more, that awareness of so much more between us than a childhood friendship. But even as the awareness morphs into desire as her body presses against mine and her warmth turns into heat, I don’t let go. I let the feelings simmer as we walk, forcing myself to deal with it, to conquer the lust.

By the time we get to Wildbeast Pizza I’ve worn off all the calories from the pasta and I’m starved, so as soon as we’re seated, I order us a pizza, a coke for her and a beer for me.

“This is my treat,” she says, determination in her eyes, so I nod. Lou says the Innocents have been doing better though she doesn’t know where the extra money came from. Dani doesn’t talk about it and I wonder if it’s her modeling money. Or maybe her mother finally scored a legitimate sugar daddy.

That’s unkind of me to think, but no less a real possibility since it’s been the woman’s obsession for as long as I can remember. Mrs. Innocent—a truly ironic name—has never been reticent about two things in life. First, that men are a necessary evil, though she usually adds present company excluded whenever she mentions this in my company. And second, if you’re going to get tangled up with a guy, he may as well be a rich one.

As far as I can tell, she tried relentlessly to get herself tangled up with a rich guy. She always had other ambitions for her daughter, though, a fact I always admired about her. She’s a tough woman who had some tough breaks that left her hard and more than a little bitter, but she always made sure Dani knew she could do better. Groomed her to become an independent woman. Said she shouldn’t get involved with a man until she was old and rich if she could help it. Present company excluded.

In spite of the exclusion, I always had the feeling she would skin Dani alive if Dani ever showed more than a brotherly interest in me.

“It’s quiet here today. You should see it on game nights after a win,” I say as I watch her glance around at the subdued crowd that includes more adults than students, likely staff who live in the area and can only safely come here during semester breaks without feeling like interlopers.

“I bet the girls swarm you.” She gives me a cheeky smile, an expectant look on her face, like she wants me to deny it.

“Not lately. This is the first time I’ve been in here this season. I’m staying on the straight and narrow this year. Concentrating strictly on hockey.” She nods like she gets it.

“This is your senior year.” Her voice rises with excitement. “After this you’ll be playing for the NHL.” She grabs my hand across the table and squeezes it, passing an excruciating jolt of energy between us. Fuck. I should, but I don’t pull my hand away. I can’t overreact like some dick with the emotional IQ of a dormouse every time she touches me. Deal with it. Get over it.

“I’m not a sure thing.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. I follow college hockey. I follow you.”

“Then you should know, pipsqueak, there are plenty of other players as good or better than me.” Her smile falters and I know it’s because of the old nickname, though it shouldn’t bother her. She’s the one who drew the line in the sand between us, who insists I’m still so far into the friend zone she’s referring to me as her big brother. But fuck, my dick doesn’t care and reacts to her barely disguised pout of distress when I resurrect her nickname from when she really was a pipsqueak. It’s a sick joke now that she’s grown into a willowy model-beautiful young woman.

I can’t even rightly think of her as a girl anymore.

A cluster of girls comes through the door and the instant they see me I breathe a heavy sigh. I know one of them from last summer and it didn’t end well. Mostly because it ended and she thought we were headed for matrimony through no encouragement of mine. Shit. I busy myself with a healthy gulp of beer and wonder if I ought to order a shot of whiskey instead as she approaches my table, her two friends following closely behind.

“What’s the matter?” Dani asks, but a quick shake of my head and slip of my eyes is all she needs to assess the situation as she glances around and understands the clusterfuck about to happen. True to her offer to be my wingman, she slides her chair closer and leans in. “Don’t worry about a thing. I got this covered.” I don’t have a chance to register my doubt as Summer Philbin reaches our table, ping-ponging a curious glance between me and Dani.

“Hi, Summer. Back from break early?” I say.

“I never left,” she says. “We stayed for the skiing.” She flashes a firm smile at Dani, her confidence, false or otherwise, on full display. “Aren’t you going to introduce me to your new friend?”

“I’m Dani. I’m Trey’s girlfriend. In fact, we’re more than—” My heartrate spikes into the danger zone and I barely stop my head from exploding with shock when I interrupt her.

“Dani and I are—”

“We’re practically engaged,” she says. Then, shocking the incredulous look off Summer’s face, Dani leans in and kisses me. And I don’t mean a peck on the cheek, not even a mild kiss on the lips, she goes in for a full-bore lip lock that feels like an ocean of promises to my thirsty mouth. There’s no way I can do a thing but give in to the passion that’s banked just under the surface of my control.

“Whoa there, we’re in public, Trey. Don’t embarrass yourself.” Summer’s voice quivers with emotion, a mix of anger and sorrow and envy. And as I let go of Dani’s mouth, feathering my lips across hers, I find my hand buried in her hair as I release it, my breathing quicker than it should be.

But the worst is the look in Dani’s eyes because I see the passion there and I could swear there was more behind her kiss than a play to save me from unwanted attention from an ex. She was doing more than playing wingman, sacrificing herself for my benefit. But the flash in her eyes is fleeting and I avert my gaze as she pulls away, a slight blush on her face, her teeth biting into her lush lips.

“I’m not embarrassed,” I say and though I’m addressing Summer I’m really talking to Dani, trying to let her know how I feel without admitting anything. I can’t let go of that secret, can’t risk the destruction of our relationship all over again, not when I have a chance to have her back in my life. I take in a long, uneven breath. Now that she’s here, I realize the enormous cost I paid in avoiding her the past three years.

“Okay then,” Summer says, barely maintaining her cool. “Just thought I’d say hello, see how you’re doing… since we were once…” She waves a hand and my heart goes out to her because she’s not a bad person, she just wasn’t the one. She wasn’t Dani.

“Sure. It’s good to see you,” I say. “If you ever need tickets to a hockey game, let me know.” I throw it in because I need to make a peace offering, can’t stand the hurt in her eyes knowing I put it there, however unintentionally. She’s a good kid and I don’t want to be an asshole to her. When I broke off our relationship last semester, I’d wanted to remain civil, but maybe I haven’t made myself clear enough about how I feel, that we have no future as a couple. Her eyes flicker and she smiles.

“I’ll take you up on that. See you later.” She almost turns to go before she adds, “Nice to meet you Dani.” Though I know she doesn’t mean it, because her voice is wistful more than anything else. She walks away with her friends, who lean in and rub her back like she needs consoling.

“Fuck,” I say. “Or maybe I should say thank you. Except you know now she’ll spread it around that we’re a couple. She knows a lot of people.” Dani shrugs.