AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“No,” I retorted.
Something happened in the show, drawing a noisy laugh from one of the characters.
Kenan’s gaze flicked toward the television, much to my relief. He knew me too well. He had to sense that I felt off balance and out of whack. Normally, he would tease me about it. It spoke volumes that he let it drop after asking me if I’d been holding my breath.
I didn’t realize my gaze lingered on him until he turned. I was instantly snagged in the intense beam of his eyes.
I swallowed. “What?” I pressed.
I was eager to banter with him, to fall into the comfortable, easy pattern of our friendship where we lightly ribbed each other and tried to one-up each other in conversation. Except my effort was beyond weak.
“I want to kiss you again,” he said abruptly.
It was a good thing I was sitting down. If I hadn’t been, I would’ve stumbled and fallen flat on my face. I wasthatshocked at his blunt statement.
“Wha-a-a-a-t?” I sputtered.
“Exactly what I said.”
If it had been possible, I didn’t doubt flames would’ve flickered through the air between the line of his gaze and mine. Heat blazed through me. My pulse raced even faster. Butterflies massed in my belly, twirling and sending tingles radiating throughout me.
I was already on the edge of breathlessness, and this tipped me right over. I could hear the pounding rush of blood in my ears with every thundering beat of my heart.
I didn’t realize my mouth had dropped open until he lifted his hand, his knuckles nudging just barely under my chin. I snapped it closed and didn’t even hide the fact that I had to take a deep, shaky breath.
“What?” I repeated, this time without stumbling over the single-syllable word.
“I said I want to kiss you,” he repeated.
It took more effort than I cared to admit, but I tore my gaze away from his. I needed to find some composure. As it was, I felt as if I were scrambling on an icy surface, slipping and losing my balance again and again.
I wanted to kiss Kenan again, more than he could imagine and more than I had ever imagined myself wanting to kiss anyone. Yet I didn’t want to ruin our friendship. I knew he didn’t believe in love, and I understood why. It wasn’t as if I was looking for love. I tried to tell myself maybe I could do this thing, but my doubts were noisy in my thoughts. Because I worried that I would care too much. I worried that I would want too much.
I didn’t consider myself a needy woman, the kind of woman who demanded commitment from the very first date. Yet I cared about Kenan as a friend. Deeply. No matter what, I would be dealing with him in my life. The potential ramifications of complications were significant.
I decided my only option was, to be honest. “I don’t know if that’s such a good idea.”
He studied me. “Obviously, it’s probably not a good idea,” he agreed.
“We’re friends first. I don’t want this to get in the way,” I whispered.
Kenan shifted closer to me, angling to face me. The couch felt much smaller, and I could barely breathe.
“It’s already in the way,” he said slowly, his voice doing funny things to my insides.
Heat continued to roll through me in slow waves. The memory of how it felt to kiss him was sharp and visceral. Unconsciously, I licked my lips. His eyes darkened.
“Maybe you have a point.” My voice was a raspy whisper, and I could barely hear over the pounding beat of my heart.
“We’re friends first,” he repeated my words back to me. “It’ll stay that way. Let’s just maybe—”
I couldn’t believe what I did, but I cut him off. I made the first move, practically lunging for him. Fiery seconds ticked by when our lips met again. My move had genuinely been a lunge, messy and uncoordinated, and I landed half across his lap. He moved smoothly, shifting me and tugging me into his lap. Once again, I straddled him, just like that night in the hotel. I could feel his arousal underneath me. I could also feel my arousal, slippery wet at the apex of my thighs.
His tongue glided against mine, and I savored the way his hand slid halfway into my hair, and his thumb brushed along the edge of my jaw. His touch was confident and unhurried. Meanwhile, I was near frantic inside, rocking over the hard ridge of his arousal. Once again, I was restless and needy.
We broke apart, our breath coming in ragged heaves as we stared at each other.
ChapterTen
