Read Write On Press Presents: The Ultimate Collection of Original Short Fiction, Volume II Page 32

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  He was going to kiss her. Jesse felt his arms tighten his hold on her and she couldn’t stop a small sigh escaping. His cheekbones looked chiseled as the moonlight poured down on them, a lock of dark hair spilled onto his forehead, and she felt more alive than she ever had. His face was beautiful and she wanted to run her fingers over every inch of it.

  Nick pulled her in even closer until she was flat against his chest and thighs. His eyes were drinking her in and she couldn’t stop looking into the sky-colored depths of his eyes. She saw the desire and male-satisfaction reflected in them as he kept his gaze locked on hers and leaned forward to touch her lips with his.

  It was everything a first kiss should be. His lips were warm and gentle. He slanted them to press more firmly as he stretched the kiss into a perfect memory for her. As he lifted his head and started to step away from her, she felt a stabbing loss. She felt her chest tighten and a little voice said, don’t let him go, there’s more...there’s more.”

  So she grabbed him before he released her all the way and she kissed him. Suddenly she knew what the “more” was, because he was kissing her, God was he kissing her. Hungrily, tightening his hold on her and crushing her lips with his. He was devouring her. His tongue swept her mouth possessively claiming her as his. This kiss was as different from the first as night from day. Her heart almost stopped beating but then kicked into a gallop, pounding next to his. And it felt so impossibly right.

  Abruptly he pulled away. They were both panting and he squeezed her hand as a signal so she took a deep breath and slowly turned.

  Her mother stood there with a stunned expression on her face. Jesse would have laughed but there was nothing funny about being caught kissing a strange boy. Especially not in her world.

  “Jessica, your father and I have been looking for you,” her words were stiff and she pointedly ignored Nick.

  Jessica felt that same stab of loss as Nick released her hand. She heard him whisper, “You know where I work.” The words were a hiss and she could tell he wanted to say more by the muscle clenching at his jaw. But instead he turned on his heel and left.

  Despite her mother’s shocked stare, Jesse found she couldn’t resist watching him as he strolled to his bike, cranked it up, and roared out of the parking lot. He moved like a panther in the night. He looked dark and dangerous and she knew she would see fear in her mother’s eyes when she turned around. She also knew she was going to hear about it from both her mother and her father. But she had no regrets, no fear. In fact, she was determined to put a repeat performance with Nick Armstrong on her bucket list.