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Her sour mood didn’t have a chance. The excitement overthrew everything that had been frazzling her nerves for the past hour. James reached to open the door, then stopped. Her gaze dropped down to where his hand was, then lifted to his face. Was there something wrong?
He glanced at her eyes, his blue eyes scanning her face as if he could read her innermost thoughts. James tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and his fingertips trailed along her jawline. Her skin tingled with electricity. She sucked in sharply, then exhaled with effort.
“Whatever happens tonight—whatever happens moving forward, I want you to know that nothing compares to how I feel about you right now.”
Her brows creased. “That sounds ominous.”
James chuckled, his head dipping momentarily before he lifted his eyes to meet hers again. “There’s nothing like starting a new relationship. Excitement, anxiety, even wondering if you’re doing the right thing.”
She tilted her head to the side. “Do you think we’re doing something wrong?”
His features tightened. Right. He didn’t like the fact that she refused to tell her father who she was dating. If it were up to him, she’d march right up to her father and tell him that she was going to be in a relationship with James, regardless of the consequences.
But that wasn’t going to happen. At least not until she was done with her classes. James would just have to be patient. She reached for the door handle, her skin grazing his. Their eyes met and James moved in front of the door, blocking her from being able to open it.
“There’s something I’ve been wanting to do for over a week, and I feel like if I don’t just do it, then it’s going to be harder and harder to do.” The tail end of his statement came out in a whisper. His eyes were serious as they dropped to her mouth, then slowly met her gaze once more. “Would it be okay if I kissed you?”
15
James
That had to be the dumbest thing he’d ever asked a girl. Usually, he would just judge the situation and steal a kiss. But something held him back. He couldn’t tell if it was due to the state in which she’d arrived or if it was because of his past relationship with her sister.
He still hated the way that secret weighed on him, but he knew he was making the right choice. In this moment, he felt like he was a teenager again. What would he do if she said no? He couldn’t imagine anything more humiliating than to ask her permission only to be turned down.
Over the next few seconds, time slowed to almost a standstill.
Constance worried her lower lip before it was pulled into a small smile. She nodded. James cupped her cheek with one of his hands, dipping his head lower. He could smell her shampoo—a sweet and almost floral scent. Her breaths shortened and her lips parted.
An aching pleasure flooded his body as his lips caressed hers. His free hand rested against the top of the car just over her left shoulder as he kissed her gently. Constance sucked in sharply, her arms wrapping around his neck and drawing him closer.
She tilted her head back and shivered. Desire wrapped around him like a rope, growing tighter and more restrictive.
Carefully, he disentangled himself from her embrace and rested his head against hers, his eyes shut tight. His breaths were shallow and his heart continued to beat even faster. He longed to pull her against him once more, to explore every curve of her body.
But he was a gentleman.
When he opened his eyes, her gaze was clouded with a yearning that mirrored his own. He chuckled if only to break the tension. “We should…”
She let out a slow breath and nodded. “Yeah.”
James reached around her to open the door. He could still taste her sweet kisses which only made him crave more. If he wasn’t careful, he’d put them in a situation they might regret.
Constance peered up at him from where she sat in the car. In her eyes, he could see so much. At least he thought he did. Hope, desire, excitement… dare he say love?
No, it was too soon to even consider that.
It was something that could happen in the future. He wouldn’t completely disregard the possibility. There were just a few things they needed to figure out before they started on that path.
* * *
He tookthem on a drive up the mountains and parked in a lot when they couldn’t go any farther. Constance climbed out of the car and stared up at the trail they were going to take. She smiled at him as she gestured toward it. “How many girls have you taken up there?” There was a teasing note in her voice, but beneath the surface he could hear her uncertainty.
James grinned at her. “I can honestly say I’ve never taken anyone up there that I’ve kissed like I kissed you.”
A pretty blush filled her face and she ducked her head, letting some of her hair cover up the rosy hue of her skin.
James reached out and brushed it away. “Why do you do that?”
