I nod.
He shakes his head. “You’re on your own, Pinocchio. I don’t lie.”
“You can’t be serious.”
“I don’t need to lie. Therefore, I don’t have the experience you require to convince your parents that you’re staying at my family’s place,” he confesses with a boyish smile that melts my heart.
I toss my hands up in the air and plop onto the couch. “What am I supposed to do?”
“Let’s have some breakfast and we’ll figure something out. I’m great at avoiding confrontation.” He takes my hand. Heat rushes to my face. Our eyes lock for a second, the weight of his gaze making me shiver. I feel a little flash of panic and I divert my gaze, almost running toward the kitchen.
“You okay?”
I nod, sucking on my bottom lip.
He smirks. “We have something in common?”
Does he want to kiss himself too?
“What is it?” I ask, opening the refrigerator. “You don’t have milk.”
“It’s in the pantry,” he says. “Do you want cereal or oatmeal? Those are our only choices. I usually grab some coffee and an instant oatmeal in the morning.”
“Why is the milk in the pantry?”
He shows me a carton of rice milk.
“Are you allergic to milk?”
He shakes his head. “No. It’s easier to store. I don’t drink milk as often as many people. Cow’s milk goes bad within days.”
“Cereal is fine,” I state. “Do you have tea?”
I take a couple of bowls, set them on the kitchen table, and search for spoons. In the meantime, he sets up the coffee maker and fills a mug with water before putting it in the microwave. The way we do things without even speaking feels strange. This guy is different from any other guy I have interacted with. It’s probably because he’s a year or two older than me. He’s out of my league, but I sure want to know how he kisses.
“You never told me what we have in common,” I say, breaking the silence.
“We’re both terrible liars.” He winks at me.
I laugh. Let’s hope he doesn’t know that I’m starting to develop a crush on him.
“So, what are you studying?” I try to sound casual and not like a teenager crazy in love with a hunk.
“Business,” he answers. “How about you?”
I shrug.
“Still haven’t decided on your major, huh,” he states, pointing at me with his spoon. “I always knew what I wanted to do.”
Taking a spoonful of cereal, I wonder if I should give him the long answer. He’s used to being with more sophisticated girls who wouldn’t be choking on words because they’re flustered by his hotness.
“I feel like I have a little time before I do it. If not, I can always go for something general like Liberal Arts and study for a master’s degree once I have decided what to do with my life.”
“It’s vague, but it sounds like a solid plan.”
I smile proudly. If only my father could be as supportive as he is. Why is it that adults want us to decide our future during the most confusing years of our life?
He caresses my cheek with the back of his hand. Every cell in my body vibrates. I want him to have his hands all over my body. I press my legs together. What is happening to me?
“You’re worried about your future, aren’t you?”
“It’s scary to think about it,” I answer. There’s a lot packed into that one sentence. I don’t want to discuss it with him—or anyone.
“You have your entire life to figure it out,” he says, and his voice is like a calming tonic. A hypnotic sound.
Before I can register what’s happening, one of his hands is around my neck. His fingers thread through my hair. His other hand cups my face. His lips brush my cheek as they move to my mouth. I’m unsure on how to react. His lips move firmly and insistent against mine. It’s the sexiest kiss I’ve ever had in my entire life. Tilting my head to one side, I part my lips, allowing his tongue to slip inside my mouth.
He deepens the kiss. I’ve never been so eager to kiss someone. The kiss is soft, even when I feel the most intense need in my core.
He pulls me closer to him. It’s like we can’t get enough of each other. Like he’s parting my soul and trying to fill it with his essence. It’s the most ardent kiss in the history of love. Or maybe I’ve never been kissed with such a passion that I feel like he’s possessing me.
I should stop him. We don’t know each other. But I can’t pull away from him.
Chapter Five
Eros
This kiss.
It’s wild, breathless, or maybe I’m getting used to sharing each other’s breath. The best word to describe it is heavenly. The moment my lips touch hers, I’m lost in a blur of passion. The whimper she makes when I press her closer to me and deepen the kiss combusts me. The heat we create could stop the blizzard happening outside and even melt the multiple feet of snow that fell overnight.
It’s taking me a lot of willpower to hold back.
I want to drag her to my room and devour her. The noises she lets out as our hands roam up and down our torsos are driving me crazy. I’m getting harder with every lick of her tongue. This isn’t what I planned when I invited her to stay with me. I can’t even remember why I did it. All I know is that I want her.
This beautiful girl got under my skin between the phone call with her father and preparing dinner last night. It was so fucking hard to fall asleep while I knew she was just a door away from me, sleeping. Walking into the living room and seeing her wearing nothing but a tiny pair of shorts and a thin tank top, it brought me to my knees.
“Liv,” I mumble against her lips, breathing harshly, trying to regain my composure. “This isn’t why I brought you to my place. I swear.”
“I know,” she whispers.
Her arms remain around my neck. We’re so close together I feel her warm, soft breath caressing my face. She places a gentle kiss on my chin.
“This shouldn’t happen,” I continue, and the words sound empty. False.
What I want to say is, I need to be on top of you. Inside you. I need to touch you, your soul. I need… “We need to stop,” I say, knowing it is the right thing.
Her hazel eyes stare at me. She gives me such an innocent look that makes my knees weak and my determination soft.
“Okay,” she says, releasing me.
The voice comes across low and hurt.
“I’m not rejecting you,” I vomit the words. There’s no other way to describe what I’m doing. “It’s just… you are trusting me, and I don’t want to take advantage of you. Even when I want… no, I need to continue kissing you.”
The smile she gives me makes my chest swell. “No one has ever kissed me like that,” she confesses. Her voice is so low I can barely hear her.
It’d be easy to tell her that she hasn’t been with someone who knows how to kiss. That’d be a lie. “I’ve never shared a kiss like that with anyone,” I admit.
“In five years, what will you regret the most?” She licks her lips. “Stopping this moment or having an unforgettable memory?”