Dare You to Kiss the Quarterback (Rock Valley High 1)

He moved even closer, causing me to take an involuntary step back. “It’s just a kiss. Kisses don’t mean anything.”

“Right.” I retreated another step and found myself up against the desk, with no-where left to go.

“And this isn’t going to change anything between us.” He reached up to brush away a curl that had fallen on my cheek, his fingers leaving burning trails where they touched my skin. “We’ll still just be singing partners. And you’ll still think I’m an arrogant jerk who gets way too much credit for throwing around a stupid ball.”

My lips twitched in a smile. So he could read minds. “And you’ll still think I’m the lame high school mascot who isn’t cool enough to get a guy to want to kiss her.”

He softly ran his hand through my curls, the touch causing a violent shiver to go down my spine. “For the record, I never thought of you like that,” he whispered.

I wanted to ask exactly what Collin thought of me, but the way he was looking at me took the breath right out of my lungs. There was a heat in his gaze, so hot that it felt like I would burn right up. And when he suddenly grabbed my waist and lifted me up onto the desk, I squawked.

He stared down at my lips as he slowly wet his own. “You still sure about this?”

“Yes.” My voice came out as a raspy whisper. “I’ve made up my mind, Collin. I want you to kiss me. So, what are you waiting for?”

His mouth curled into that lopsided grin and he shook his head slightly. “You’re kind of crazy, you know that?”

What kind of

crazy, I had no idea. But in that moment, I didn’t care. My hands grasped the edge of the desk so tight, I thought it was going to crack. Sitting on it had put me almost at eye level with Collin. Nerves were beginning to bounce around my stomach at light speed. I felt a dangerous desire to open my mouth and ramble on, just like I did in any extremely high stress situations.

“I hear you’re really good at this,” I spouted. “All the girls in our school say so.”

I wanted to smack myself for uttering a single syllable. He was going to think I was such a dork.

Collin’s eyebrows raised and he let out a low chuckle. “They say you can’t always believe everything you hear. But I’ll let you in on a little secret: if I had super powers, this would be it.”

I snorted and he grinned in response.

Show off.

“You’re so beautiful,” he said softly, tracing a finger agonizingly slow down my jawline and stopping just at the corner of my mouth. His gaze trailed his hand, landing solidly on my lips.

I shifted uncomfortably. When I’d asked him to kiss me, I hadn’t wished for an entire theatrical performance. No lies necessary.

“You don’t have to say those kinds of things.”

His brown eyes flicked up to mine, his fingers lingering on my chin. “Why not? It’s true.”

My heart wanted to believe him. To soak in everything Collin did. Every touch, every look. He had a way of making my heart feel like it was going to burst from my chest. And if he didn’t kiss me soon, I was afraid it would stop beating.

Collin leaned in closer and placed his hand on my waist. With his other, he lifted my chin until I could look nowhere except straight into his smoldering eyes. Blood pooled into my cheeks, beating as hot as a wicked July sunburn. My lungs screamed in protest as I held in my breath, waiting for him to make a move.

His eyes searched mine, a small frown line appearing between his eyebrows. He seemed to be waiting for something. Some final sign that this was truly what I wanted and that I wasn’t going to chicken out on him. But I wasn’t. Not today. I was tired of always being the passive one. Never acting. This was my life. My story. And if I wanted the star of the football team to kiss me so I could write a song, then I was going to do it.

And then suddenly, Collin leaned forward and kissed me, his lips moving lightly across mine and sending a jolt of electricity down my spine. I shivered and closed my eyes, relishing how soft his lips felt. I’d never expected to be kissed like this. It was slow and tantalizing, like a wave washing up on the shore. My heart beat violently, and the sound of my heavy breathing filled my ears. Pulling me closer to him, Collin buried both of his hands in my hair and gently guided me as he deepened the kiss. I hummed in appreciation, feeling the heat from my gut spread to my limbs.

Collin hadn’t been lying. Kissing was his super power. He knew just how to touch me and how to keep me begging for more. There was strength in his every move and an underlying tenderness that made me melt. All I had to do was follow his lead, and he handled the rest.

I wasn’t sure what do with my hands, so I found myself working them up his sinewy arms and to the back of his head. The slow, deliberate pace of his kiss began to work up in speed as I funneled my fingers into his hair. He groaned into my mouth, pressing more hungrily against me. I nearly lost my seating on the desk, but managed to stay upright by clinging to his neck. He ran his hands up and down my back, leaving delicious trails of electricity crawling along my skin.

It was blissful torture, unlike anything I’d ever experienced before.

I wasn’t sure how long we remained like that. It could’ve been hours or only seconds. But the abrupt sound of the back door opening pulled us apart. Collin retreated several steps away, raking both of his hands through his hair. He cleared his throat a few times, his face flushed. I remained on top of the desk, pretty sure that if I even tried to stand on my feet I would collapse immediately to the floor. Instead, I grabbed the nearest book I could find and held it in front of my chest as Ally came bouncing into the room.

“I’m headed to my shift at Dwight’s,” she said. “Good night, you two.”

“Night,” I squeaked as Collin simply waved.