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He shimmered again, switching to the cute Chinese boy. “Better?”
“Hmm. I don't know, not quite my taste. ”
“What's your taste?” His voice shifted with every different form he took. It bothered me, as usual.
“I like guys the color of water. ”
He looked down at the ground. “You really like the way I look? It doesn't, I don't know, freak you out?”
I stood, putting my hand on the side of his face and concentrating so that I could see under his glamour. “I really like the way you look. None of these faces you wear compare. ”
He gave me a nervous frown. Then he shimmered and the color drained out, leaving just him. I hadn't seen him like this since he was unconscious. I forgot how amazing it was. I smiled, keeping my hand on his face. The texture had changed--it was even softer and smoother, if that was possible. “There you are. ” If I focused on his eyes I could make out his whole face in my peripheral vision; it was when I tried to look at anything else that it seemed to slip away.
“Here I am,” he said softly--in his real voice. It was like his mother's, but richer and with more of a human tone to it, making it far warmer and more familiar. Just like slipping into a steaming bath when you were cold all over; I couldn't imagine a better voice.
“I think you should know,” I said, pretending to frown, “I'm not going to be happy with your other voices now that I've heard the real one. ”
He laughed and I went weak in the knees. Reth spreading his warmth through me was nothing compared to how I felt about Lend, how that laugh made me feel.
“You're kind of incredible, you know that, Evie?”
“I kind of figured. ” Grinning mischievously at him, I moved my hand from his face and wrapped both my arms around the back of his neck.
He put one of his hands behind my back, pulling me in closer, then traced his fingers along my jaw. I was on the verge of hyperventilating, almost scared now that the kiss I'd dreamed of for so long seemed like it was going to happen. Our lips were only a few inches apart. Then his face went serious, and our lips weren't any inches apart at all.
I closed my eyes, melting in. His lips--oh, bleep, his lips--just when I thought his skin was the softest thing ever. And warm like you wouldn't believe. I felt like I was floating: I couldn't believe I was there, kissing Lend, and it was the best kiss ever.
After a few seconds I wondered if I was supposed to be doing anything else. I'd never done this before. Lend must have been thinking the same thing, because he slowly moved his lips. I answered with mine, and we stood there in his room, figuring out how to kiss.
It was absolutely amazing.
I could have done that all day. How on earth had I never kissed before? After what seemed like forever and no time at all, we pulled apart. Lend looked at me.
“Are you sure that was your first kiss?” he asked in his wonderful voice, eyeing me in mock suspicion.
“Wasn't it yours?” Oh no. What if I was doing it wrong?
He laughed. “Yeah. But I'd kinda like to do it again. . . ”
I answered by leaning in and positively smashing my mouth against his.
We were really getting the hang of it when a knock made us jump apart. “Doors open, please,” Lend's dad called through the shut door.
“Um, yeah, sorry, Dad,” Lend said. Pigment rushed back into him, and he settled into his normal hottie appearance. Opening the door, he grinned. “Just telling her about tonight. ”
“For the last forty-?five minutes?” David raised his eyebrows. Holy crap, had it really been that long? I blushed from head to toe but Lend laughed. “Why don't you two come and talk about it downstairs?”
“Sure. ” Lend held out his hand for me and I took it, still embarrassed. I spent the next couple of hours in giddy impatience. I kept remembering that we had kissed--I had been kissed!--and the giddiness set in anew.
Finally it was time for us to go. Lend seemed more relaxed and happier than ever on the drive, joking around about making me pick up the tab for the date.
The pizza place was great--packed and noisy, with dim lighting and bench tables. John, a lanky red-?haired guy I recognized from school, waved to us from a table in the back near some arcade games. There were five other kids, a couple of whom I had met.
A girl I didn't know beamed at Lend, way too excited to see him. Pretty, with dark hair and too much makeup. I didn't like the way she looked at him, or the way she leaned forward, using her low-?cut shirt to its full advantage. I shifted closer to Lend and wished we were holding hands. Still, I'd dealt with predators she couldn't imagine in her darkest nightmares. I wasn't intimidated. Much.
“Lend, you're back!” she said. “I'm so glad, I was really worried about you! You must have been so sick! I tried to bring you cookies, but your dad said you were contagious. ”
“Yup, feeling better now. ” Lend smiled politely.
