Boys Like You

My skirt had ridden up to my hips, and the bright pink boy undies I had on were there for him to see. In fact, one of his hands was on the small of my back, holding me in place.

Holding me against him.

Against him.

“Shit,” I said, wriggling like mad to move away. By the look on his face, I think I made things worse. “I’m sorry.”

I kneeled on the seat beside him, biting my lip and not sure what to do. His arm slipped around me, pulling me into his warmth.

“I just need a minute.”

“Okay.”

So do I.

Holy hell, so did I.

It might have taken more than a few minutes for our hearts to settle, and by then I realized that it was nearly 1 a.m. and Gram was expecting me.

“I have to go.”

“I know.” He kissed the top of my head and I smiled. “One more minute.”

“Just one?” I teased.

“I’d take more, but I don’t want to get on Mrs. Blackwell’s bad side.”

I giggled and snuggled into him. “She likes you. I don’t think you have to worry.”

“Good to know.” I smiled at the lightness in his tone. “And Monroe?”

I angled my head so I could see him. “Yes.”

“Technically that wasn’t my collection kiss.”

My smile widened. “It wasn’t.”

He shook his head. “Nope. Rules are you have to state the claim before the prize is collected, and I didn’t state my claim.”

I liked this side of him. The light side. The teasing side. And I liked how he made me feel. Coyly, I grinned. “So I guess I owe you at least one more kiss.”

There was a pause.

My heart sped up.

“At least.”

Chapter Twenty

Nathan

“So, as per the rules, I’m stating my claim.”

It was Sunday night and getting kind of late, but I couldn’t help myself. I had to hear her voice, and I needed to see her even more.

I’d spent most of the day and night at a family thing at my aunt and uncle’s. Yep. The entire day spent with a bunch of cousins who were either too young and annoying to hang with or too old and annoying to hang with.

So I’d pretty much kept to myself. My family thought I was brooding—angsting over my situation—and I was fine with that. Because as long as they did, they didn’t try to talk to me and I could be alone with my thoughts.