Not My Hero

“What if I do, and it gets me in trouble?”

“As long as we’re not going to break any laws, I’m all for it,” I say, letting out a chuckle.

“And you won’t get angry?” she asks, the corner of her mouth twitching nervously.

“Nope.”

“Promise?” she whispers.

She’s starting to look really anxious, and it makes me wonder what it could be. Hoping I’ll set her at ease, I reply, “I promise nothing you want to do will upset me. It will make me happy, Brie. Damn, I’d even jump in the pool with you.”

“Okay.” She sucks in a deep breath of air and shakes out her hands at her sides. When she starts walking toward me, I expect her to take my hand so we can go do whatever she wants to. But instead, when she reaches me, she lifts herself on her tiptoes, and framing my jaw, she presses her mouth to mine.

Holy shit.

All my brain activity comes to a screeching halt. I don’t even have time to respond, and the kiss ends way too quick. Brie takes a couple of steps backward, and her gaze anxiously settles on mine.

Okay, that’s seriously the last thing I expected her to do, and it takes me a couple of seconds to get over the initial shock.

Then it hits me. Brie just kissed me.

Our eyes are still locked, and I have to clear my throat before I can ask, “That’s the one thing you wanted to do most?”

She nods, and an apologetic look begins to tighten her features. “I… I’m so –” I don’t want her saying the words, and darting forward, I frame her face and lower my mouth to hers.

This time I’m prepared, and I get to take in the feel of her lips, how soft and full they are. I breathe in her scent, and tilting my head, I finally allow myself to act on everything I feel for her.

I move as close to her as I can get, and lowering my one hand to the back of her neck, I let my tongue brush over the seam of her mouth. The moment Brie’s lips part and I get to taste her, the sound of the waterfall fades until I can only hear my heart thumping against my ribs.Chapter 23BRIEI’ve thought a lot about how it would feel to kiss Colton, but nothing my imagination conjured up compares to this moment.

None of the emotions come close to what I’m experiencing.

I feel as light as a feather. My heart’s fluttering like a pair of butterfly wings between my chest and my throat. My skin’s alive with tiny sparks.

It all grows a million times more intense when Colton’s tongue slips into my mouth. It’s so… so incredible I forget how to breathe.

I somehow manage to lift my hands so I can grab hold of his sides.

I don’t get to wonder if I’m doing it right. I don’t get to think about what this means.

There’s only Colton, and my heart bursting into a kaleidoscope butterflies.

Even though the moment is the most intense thing I’ve ever felt, it’s also so quiet. It’s as if we’re whispering our feelings through the kiss.

When Colton’s mouth slows against mine before he pulls back, I can only suck in air.

Opening my eyes, our gazes lock. The brown of his irises looks like melted chocolate, and his breaths are just as fast as mine. We don’t step away from each other, and when the corner of Colton’s mouth begins to lift, my heart skips a happy beat.

Moments pass before Colton whispers, “I didn’t see that coming. I sure as hell hoped for it, but damn, you just about knocked my feet from under me.”

“You hoped for it?” I ask, not able to believe even after the kiss that Colton would actually want me. Yes, it was my dream – one I wished desperately would come true – but never thought would.

“Yeah,” he murmurs.

I can only stare at him, my lips parted as hope hovers in my chest.

“So…” Colton’s one hand is still on the back of my neck, while his other rests tenderly against my cheek. “I’ve wanted to tell you how I feel for a while now but could never find the right time.”

The fluttering returns full force to my insides, and I nervously lick my lips before asking, “How you feel? About me?”

Colton nods, and his mouth curves into a soft smile. “Yeah.” His eyes drift over my face, and the expression in them makes my hope grow. Then he lets out an awkward-sounding chuckle and admits, “I’m falling in love with you.”

A smile wavers around my lips, and as his words settle deep in my heart, it grows until happy laughter bubbles out of me. Wrapping my arms around his waist, I squeeze him as tight as I can and whisper, “I’m also falling in love with you.”