Awkward Love (Stumbling into Love 2)

“Always.” She helped Kira up, and they latched their index fingers together.

“I could cancel? The three of us can cuddle and have a movie session?”

“Don’t even think about it.” Kira kissed my cheek. “Love you. Call us the second he leaves.”

I was trying not to be jealous that the two of them got to hang out a second time without me. We were a threesome and had been for a long time. But then I remembered Will promised me an orgasm, and I figured I was pretty lucky.

They left, and I tried not to freak out as I took a shower. The last thing I wanted was to risk stinking, so I put on extra deodorant, brushed my teeth again, and then looked for something to wear.

I had a bit of a clothes fetish. I liked to wear nice things, not necessarily expensive things, but stylish things. Dressing up had always made me feel good, but I also didn’t want to look like we were heading out for a night on the town while we had dinner at my house. I needed cute but casual.

I settled on a pair of pale-blue shorts I liked, with a white T-shirt and a vest over it. I liked vests, even for dinner at home, thank you very much.

Then…then I paced…downed a whole glass of water…ate an apple with peanut butter so I had something in my stomach…hid the wine…brushed my teeth again because you never knew, apple breath could be a thing. Or, I heard about someone kissing another person after they had peanuts, and the person had an allergy and almost died. I would die if I killed Will with peanut breath.

At five on the dot, the doorbell rang. Nausea immediately twisted and turned in my gut. I can do this. I can do this. I took a deep breath and opened the door.

“Hey, you,” Will said with that golden-boy-next-door smile. A smile that told me he had zero nerves, which made me worry he didn’t want me, and damn, he looked hot with a baseball cap on backward. I’d never seen him like that—probably because I’d only seen him three times in my life, counting this one, and now even my thoughts were rambling.

“Hi.”

“You look cute.” Will kissed my cheek and came inside. “I like the way you dress. Sexy, nerdy chic.”

I couldn’t even be bothered by the nerdy part because he had also called me sexy. “Thanks. You’re really hot—I mean, look hot, I mean good. You look good.” I closed the door. Shut up now!

“Jameson thinks I’m hot,” he sang playfully.

“Jameson thinks you’re conceited.”

“The two aren’t mutually exclusive. You can be hot and conceited, and you already called me hot. There are no takebacks on compliments. Plus, there’s a difference between conceit and confidence. I’d like to think I’m the latter.”

I ignored all that. There was too much to unravel. Plus, he was right. I did see Will more as confident, and I sure didn’t want to take back the compliment.

“I figured we could order in. I wasn’t sure what type of food you liked, other than Italian. And, well, I can cook, but I’m not like a chef or anything, so yeah, food. We can order it.”

“I’m down,” Will said nonchalantly. This was all so easy for him, and I couldn’t help envying it. “I did eat the Italian the other night, though. You missed out. They packed up the food for us, and I went out to the car after you passed the fuck out.”

“Ha-ha.” Then, “You ate mine too?”

“I’m a growing boy!”

He was something, all right, I just couldn’t put my finger on exactly what it was. But I dug it.

“What are you in the mood for tonight?” I asked.

“You’re talking easier around me.”

“I won’t be now that you mentioned it.” Who did that? Apparently Will did. Still, he was right, so that was awesome.

“Oops. My bad. Lips are locked, throw away the key, on that subject at least. We can make a game of it. You’re relaxed around me, and I kiss you for reward.” He wagged his eyebrows, and damned if it wasn’t cute.

Will sat on the couch and patted the cushion beside him. Walking over, I pouted, but I wanted to sit by him. I plopped down onto the seat, probably not very sexily. “Offering to kiss me for being chill is likely to have the opposite effect. I’ll be thinking about what I’m saying and how I’m saying it, which will make me ramble and be Jameson even more, and it’s just—oh.”

He leaned in, and his mouth gently brushed mine. Will’s tongue swiped at my lips, and I opened them, letting him in. The kiss went straight to my head. It was even better than the one we’d shared the day before because I wasn’t in a state of shock and hungover.