AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He walked me to the door, one hand in his pocket, the other still tight around mine. Niko started barking and whining as we approached. He had been alone for longer than I expected, and the quick thought of “what did he eat now?” entered my mind for a millisecond before I turned and looked at Milo as he approached the front door. His pace slowed, pulling me to a stop before I even had my key in the door.
“In true first date fashion…” I smiled at him. “Dropping me off at my front door.”
“Last time this happened, it didn’t end well,” he reminded me.
I cocked my head and narrowed my eyes. “We’ve both grown a lot since then.”
He raised his eyebrows, nodded and looked down at his feet, and then at our hands, finally meeting my gaze.
“I really want to kiss you,” he whispered.
I took that one final step, closing that small inch of space in between us. Our lips met, softly, sweetly at first. It was the kiss I remembered from twelve years ago. The one where that left me wanting more, right before the one that—at the time—ruined the evening. I gently pulled away, my eyes closed, mere centimeters away from his lips.
“We know that kiss,” he whispered. “Madeline…” He reached a hand to the back of neck, pulling me closer, his lips colliding with mine again.
I breathed him in, and all the senses I had exploded. His lips were sweet, soft, and so much more than I expected. The way Milo kissed me, it was unlike any kiss I had ever had. It was as if he knew exactly what I craved, what I needed. My heart pounded, and shivers ran down my entire body. His lips parted slightly, and his hand on my back lifted me to arch slightly, bringing me to my tippy toes, closer to him, if that was even possible. I would stay this close to him forever if he would let me, and the way his lips felt against mine, the way he cupped my neck and held his hand firm on my back… this told me he would let me stay as long as I wanted.
I broke the kiss, gasping softly for air. I wanted that again…Ineededthat again.
“That…” he said breathlessly, “that was, uh…”
I kissed him again, silencing his train of thought. “Do you want to come inside?” I asked against his lips.
He sighed; a small giggle leaving his throat. “Yes…” he mumbled.
I smiled, stepping back to unlock my door. He held onto my arm and slipped his hand into mine.
“But…” he said, sounding more alert again, catching my attention, “I’m not going to.”
I furrowed my brow. “It’s okay…” I stepped close to him again, noticing the way his eyes looked—both excited and somber at the same time. So many emotions were running through him, one that—like so many other times tonight—I hadn't seen before.
“If we are going to do this”—he raised his eyebrow, lowering his gaze to mine and cupping my chin in his hand—“we are going to do it right. Which means, as much as I want to go inside, I’m not going to. I’m going to kiss you again and then call you tomorrow and count the seconds until I get to see you.”
He lowered his head, his lips meeting mine, this time as gentle as butterfly wings. Gentle, yet the same passion was ignited.
I took a deep breath and leaned my forehead against his.
“Okay,” I whispered, lifting my chin. “I can accept that.”
He nodded, heaved a sigh, and then nodded again. Swiftly, he lifted a finger, did the classic tucking my hair behind my ear, which whenever Kent had done that it had bothered me…but now with Milo, it made my knees turn to jelly. He kissed me, sweetly this time, leaving a tingle on my lips as I leaned in for more.
“I’ll talk to you tomorrow then.” He was still breathless as he slowly stepped away, shoving his hands in his pockets. I grinned, knowing he did that move to keep from reaching out for me again. “Sleep well, Madeline.” With that, he turned and walked to his truck, turning only once to make sure I had unlocked my door and was successfully inside.
Niko was at my feet in seconds, most likely wanting to see Milo too, but also very confused as to why I was pressed against the door, a dazed look and fog in my brain. He jumped and whined for my attention, but all I saw, all I could think of, was Milo and how I couldn’t wait to have this feeling again.
Chapter Sixteen
-Milo-
My head was spinning. Never…ever…have I felt this way. I lay on my back on my bed, staring at the textured ceiling of my bedroom. I closed my eyes and tried to remember every detail of the day. The bookstore with Madeline’s sweet—accidental?—kiss. The waffle, the drive with our hands intertwined. The dancing on the coast as the song she loves played gently in the background.
Us, Someday…
I opened my eyes and felt a soft grin tug on my lips. That was our song now. Didn’t matter what she said. That was forever going to remind me of her. Exhaling, I closed my eyes again, keeping this feeling alive as I attempted to drift to sleep.
However, sleep was not in the cards for me tonight. I tossed and turned all night, my thoughts fixated on the past twelve years. I always loved Madeline, even when she didn't love me the way I loved her. She helped me pull out of the darkness that was the aftermath of my mother’s death, and she was there through everything, even if she didn’t quite know how much it meant at the time. Out of all the things I had told Madeline through the years, I never told her the extent of what she meant to me during that time.
Would dating her ruin us?
