“Not until we saw her at the library. I sent her a text or two, but she didn’t answer.” I took a deep breath, my fingers still linked with Kylie’s. “Even if I could help her, I’m not sure she’d want me to. So please, please will you talk with her? You could just take her out to lunch and ask her how things are going and then casually impart your secrets for being a badass before dessert arrives.”
Kylie smiled at that, but I could tell she wasn’t convinced. “I really think—”
“Please? My treat. You can take her to any restaurant in Denver. Hell, any restaurant in the state. Will you please do this for me?”
I could practically see the debate going on inside her head, but at last, she said, “Okay.”
Relief filled me. I wasn’t close to Alyssa, and I sure as hell didn’t know how to talk to her, but deep down, I wanted what was best for her. “Thank you.” I jumped up, pulling Kylie to her feet. I wrapped my arms around her small frame and gave her a quick kiss on the forehead. Somehow, that wasn’t enough, and I lifted her off the ground and spun her around. She shrieked and clung to me, laughing at my exuberance.
I set her down on a washing machine that was churning like mad, intending to make a joke comparing it to her favorite toy. But once she was sitting there, her face nearly level with mine, all thoughts of that fled my mind. She looked so fucking gorgeous with her cheeks flushed and her bi-colored eyes filled with excitement. I cupped her face in my hands and kissed her.
She froze as if in shock as my lips pressed against hers. I didn’t blame her—I was shocked, too, but my brain was no longer running the show. Her mouth tasted sweet and I ran my tongue along her lips, nibbling as I went.
Hesitantly, her arms came up, her wrists linking behind my neck. I pressed forward, wanting to be as close to her as possible, and her smooth legs parted, allowing me to move in.
God, this was heaven. Her sweet mouth responding to mine. Her chest pressed against me. Her thighs on either side of my hips. It made me want more.
A lot more.
The kiss deepened as she opened her mouth, letting me explore. Letting me take over. Letting me in. She moaned, and I could feel the vibration through our clothes as her breasts mashed against me. I plunged a hand into her hair, fisting it and holding her head at the perfect angle for me to ravish her mouth. Her soft moans grew louder, and my cock felt like it was going to burst out of my shorts.
Shit, this felt good. She felt good. And somehow, kissing her felt right. I wasn’t sure what the hell to do with that information, but at the moment, I didn’t care. The building could’ve fallen down around us and I wouldn’t have cared.
I probably would’ve stayed where I was forever, but the washing machine beneath her fine ass abruptly went off with a loud buzzing sound. She jumped, her mouth moving away from mine.
After the shock wore off, she laughed, and I joined in. I was still positioned between her legs, and I rested a hand on her thigh. Her skin was smooth but firm, and I wanted to explore every inch of it. But instead I shook my head, bemused. “That was supposed to be a quick ‘thank you’ kiss.”
She laughed softly and ran a finger along her swollen mouth. “It wasn’t.”
“No, it wasn’t.”
Then she gave me a killer smile. “I’m glad.”
18
Kylie
“But what else did you talk about?” Mason asked, sounding like a gossiping grade school student. It was Saturday, a day after my lunch with Alyssa, and we sat around the table, studying. Well, Jude stared at the mountains, but I figured since I did that so often, it was his turn.
“The usual,” I said. “Fashion. Celebrity scandals. Boys.”
Mason rolled his eyes. He had his shirt off again. For a while, I’d actually believed what Jude had said that first day about Mason being an exhibitionist, but Mason had laughed his ass off when I brought it up, telling me it was because he was always warm. “Come on, tell me. I sure forked out enough for your lunch. What’d you do, order the most expensive thing on the menu?”
“Yes,” I said, and he laughed, in spite of himself. With his money in my pocket, I’d taken Alyssa to a French bistro in downtown Denver. “We talked about the big group project she has to complete to graduate. You were right, she’s having some issues with the male group members. Turns out, men can be stubborn, overbearing, and bad listeners—who knew?”