Best Friends Don't Kiss

Deep, sexy groans leave Luke’s lips.

“I’m so close,” I whimper against his mouth. “It feels too good. You feel too good.”

My body tightens in anticipation, and Luke doesn’t let up.

He takes me right to the edge, holding me there for what feels like an eternity.

And then, I’m falling, right into my climax, and my heart feels like it wants to crawl out of my body and into his. Luke is right there with me, his back muscles tightening beneath my fingertips and his breaths turning to uneven, raspy pants.

It feels like it takes hours for my mind to clear the orgasm-induced fog.

But when I do, the reality of what we just did isn’t lost on me.

Holy hell. You just had the best sex of your life. With your best friend.

That truth should be staggering.

But it’s not. It’s quite the opposite, actually.

To be in Luke’s arms is love, safety, comfort, and passion personified. Even from the start, he has held the power to bring me back to life, revive whatever I’ve lost, and restore what’s become shattered.

We are born to be loved, to be cherished for who we are, unconditionally, and Luke has never failed to give me all of that and then some, even when I thought of us as just friends.

But I’m starting to realize we were never just friends.

We were always So. Much. More.

And though his words are precious, his laughter and smile always a remedy, it is the feel of his body, his touch, that makes our relationship feel complete. That makes me feel complete. Or perhaps it is all of them combined; perhaps they are more than their sum.

Either way, I don’t think I want to go back to the way we were before.

I don’t think I ever want this to end.December 26th

AvaI stare out the window of our rental, taking in the way the snow on the ground makes the world appear brighter than it should for this hour of the evening. Flakes swirl and dance in the air, falling onto the massive white blanket that rests on the ground.

All day, my mind has felt like a freaking ping-pong ball, bouncing back and forth between wanting to talk to Luke about last night but being afraid to ask him what he’s thinking and feeling.

In my heart, it doesn’t feel like we just had sex.

It feels like we made love.

Ever since we woke up this morning, I’ve wavered between bringing up the sparkly pink unicorn in the room and simply watching him for cues.

But Luke has appeared nothing but relaxed and laid-back.

And he’s been affectionate, so incredibly affectionate. Stealing kisses whenever he can. Helping me get ready for tonight’s big event by playfully teasing my body like he did a few days ago.

To me, he’s been the opposite of a man who is internally freaking out over having sex with his best friend. He’s just been Luke. My Luke. Handsome and funny and always finding moments to be sweet with me.

And it’s those very actions that reassure me, that make me think maybe he’s feeling the same way I do.

Maybe he doesn’t want to go back to just friends…

Maybe he wants me like I want him…

When Luke pulls our rental into the parking lot of Crystal Gardens, I’m pulled straight out of my thoughts, and my eyes catch sight of a giant sign that reads Lakewood High Fifteen-Year Reunion.

Gah.

Rapidly, nerves make themselves known inside my belly, the little bastards even having the audacity to spill into my veins and make my hands fidget and shake.

“Are you sure you want—” I start to ask, but Luke is quick to respond, not even letting me finish my thought.

“You’re not going to convince me to leave without actually attending this reunion,” he says and glances at me as he pulls into a parking spot and cuts the engine.

I narrow my eyes. “That wasn’t what I was going to do.”

A knowing smile appears on his lips. “You sure about that?”

“No,” I retort because he and I both know that’s exactly what I was going to try to do. I huff out a sigh and pull down the visor to check my makeup for the one-hundredth time. When I find nothing has changed since I checked five minutes ago, I shut the visor with a flip of my hand and huff out another sigh.

“Ace, it’s going to be okay.” Luke reaches over and tenderly places his hand on my forearm. “We’re going to go in there, and we’re going to have fun.”

“You promise?”

He nods. “Promise.”

I search his eyes for a long moment, and just as I start to open my mouth with a few more distracting questions, he shakes his head.

“You got this,” he says. “And I got you.” He winks and leans forward to press a kiss to the corner of my mouth. “Now, let’s go in there and show all your old high school pals how awesome Ava Lucie is fifteen years later.”