starters, not to want to do this so badly...” The words reached my ears as a whisper as he dropped his head to mine. He paused, a breath away, as if to make sure it was okay to proceed. I tipped my chin up, and he closed the distance, finally pressing his lips to mine.
He was much more skilled than I was. Dully, the thought occurred to me that he had probably kissed a lot of girls, but that didn’t matter because I was the one he was kissing now. He kissed me slow and sweet, and didn’t push me faster than I was ready for. I relaxed into him, fully enjoying the moment, and, when he pulled back, a smile was left on my lips.
I opened my eyes to see him looking down at me in wonder.
“Wait a minute…” He placed his hands on my waist and pressed me against the table gruffly, startling me, but in a good way. “Let me see something.”
Our second kiss was a bit more heated than our first. I let him claim and explore me as he wanted and, when the metal from his tongue ring clanged against my teeth, I nearly combusted. My back arched beneath his weight, his hips ground into mine, and his fingers dug into my skin as he kissed me fiercely at first, then slowed, as if remembering it was me, the all-too-inexperienced Kris, he was manhandling.
We were both winded when he pulled back and our eyes locked. He looked at me like he was seeing me for the first time, or was seeing something he hadn’t anticipated. Maybe I was actually a decent kisser, and he was as amazed as I was? Whatever it was, Alec was pleasantly surprised.
He took my hands in his, and pulled me from the semi-reclined position he had pushed me into. “Nothing at all like I expected.”
Why did he keep saying that? I shifted to see his face better. He was staring over my shoulder, beyond me and the playground, but I didn’t think he was really seeing anything. His eyes were dark and full of a turmoil I didn’t understand. In that moment, I glimpsed a part of him that ran much deeper than his playful, flirty exterior, and I knew that Alec had secrets.
“You alright in there?” I asked him.
His eyes shifted to mine and he grinned. “You ever do something you didn’t want to do?”
My throat constricted. “Like...kiss me?” Was he regretting it already? It had only been thirty seconds ago.
“No, I wanted to do that.” He shook his head like he thought I was crazy for thinking that. “Are you kidding me? No, I’m definitely not talking about that.”
“Taking your clothes off?” I teased. “Because I won’t make you.”
His eyes twinkled when they leveled on mine. “Not talking about that either.”
I didn’t press. He’d share what he wanted, when he wanted, and with whom he wanted. I knew how it was. Only one person knew my secret, and he was the secret. If Alec wanted to tell me his, he would.
“Let’s get out of here,” he finally said.
“And go where exactly?”
Alec lifted his eyebrow and shook his head like he couldn’t believe what he was about to say. “There are a few places I would like to go...” The look he gave me fed the fire burning inside of me that his kiss had started. “But what I’m going to do is drive you home,” he continued slowly, like it took a tremendous effort to say the words, and smiled shyly. “That’s how much I like you.”
“You like me so much you’re going to take me home?” Part of me was curious to know what else he’d had in mind. A bigger part of me knew I wasn’t prepared to find out.
“Hey, this is huge for me. Don’t make me question myself.” He slipped an arm around my shoulders, and led me back in the direction of the party.
It was still going on strong when we returned. I managed to find Callie, seated suspiciously close to Josh, and I wondered if they had finally realized what everyone else has known for months. I wanted to ask, but stuck to informing her of Alec’s intentions to drive me home, and promised to call her in the morning with more details. She