Ain't No Sunshine

“Oh, Nate. Sorry, I’m kidding.”

“I know,” I rasp. I totally didn’t. “But that brings me to my first question,” I continue, still surprised by my reaction to her touch. “Are you the type of girl that does get naked on a first date?”

She blanches. “That was your first question?”

“Not even my tenth, but I’m good at thinking on my feet, and well…”

She laughs again and gently slaps my chest with the back of her hand, setting my body alight. Gotta say I’m enjoying every bit of physical affection she throws my way. “Okay, what’s your real first question?”

I’m about to answer when she raises her hand between us. “And for the record, no. I’m not that type of girl.” She turns away as a beautiful blush colors her skin, but a small smile still plays on her lips. Good to know.

“So, my first question is… do you think less of me for not approaching you first?” It’s not a get-to-know-you question, but something I need answered.

She turns to me so quickly she almost loses her balance, but I steady her in time. “What do you mean? I thought you were just reacting to Dylan introducing us. You know. Giving it a shot.” What?

I give her a puzzled expression and she shrugs shyly.

“Cory, I meant what I said. I’ve wanted to get to know you for a while. Trust me, I’ve been dying to ask you out. I’ve just had some stuff going on, and… It’s not important. I just wanted to be free of it.”

Cory looks down at the ground moving beneath us. “So, my timing sucks.”

“No. Definitely not.” Fuck! “Dylan introducing us was the kick in the ass I needed. I want this. I mean, I came up with questions… This is good. Okay?”

“Okay.” She smirks. “So, question two?”

We run through my list of questions and discover we have quite a lot in common, but also a lot that’s different. I’m also surprised to learn she knows a hell of a lot about football and has even seen me play. A little buzz goes through me at the thought of her watching me.

We swing for about an hour before making our way back to the party, and as we walk along the path, I reach out to brush her fingers with mine. When she doesn’t pull away, I grip her hand and intertwine our fingers, gently pulling her closer. The warmth of her hand in mine sends my pulse racing as realization hits me. I really like this girl, even more than I thought.

We spend the next few hours either dancing or hanging out with my friends, and neither of us see Summer again until she waves goodbye and walks away with Dylan’s friend, Joel. A perfect match really, seeing as both are only interested in one-night stands. At least, that’s what I’ve heard about Summer.

It’s not long after Summer leaves I notice Cory trying to hide a yawn. “Come on, I’ll take you home,” I say after the fourth one.

“No,” she protests, trying to pull me back onto the dance floor, but it’s half-hearted, and I can’t help but laugh while pulling her into my arms. “Come on. I’m done, too.”

I link my hand with hers again as we walk to my car. I may have relinquished my designated driver role, but I only drank two drinks for this very reason. To take Cory home.

The drive to Cory’s is peacefully silent, and when we reach her door, the quiet remains, but the tension between us is strong. I’ve been a gentleman all night, but when she looks up at me with those eyes of hers, I can’t wait any longer. I need to feel her lips on mine. Leaning down slowly, I press a soft kiss to her mouth as she sighs.

“Thank you for coming tonight,” I say as I kiss her again, unable to resist the touch. It’s another chaste kiss because I don’t want to push my luck, but when I pull back, I see a hint of disappointment on Cory’s face.

“What?” My brow furrows.

She shakes her head with a shy giggle, and it’s the most beautiful sound. “Nothing. It’s nothing. I had a lovely time.”

It’s definitely not nothing.

“Cory, please. What is it?”

She blushes and looks up at me through her long fluttering eyelashes, not quite meeting my gaze. “I want you to kiss me like you really want to.” Her voice is barely a whisper, but I can feel how much she wants it, and God, I do, too.

Without wasting another second, I grab her face with both hands and slam my lips to hers. She lets out another small giggle, but falls silent when my tongue meets hers and my hands move into her hair. I walk her back slowly until she rests against the wall before deepening the kiss.

Cory’s reactive at first, but before long she has one leg wrapped around me, using it to pull my hips into hers, connecting us at the core.

My heart races as a feeling of something new washes over me. It’s hard to explain, but it feels like I’ve been here before. No, that’s not right. It feels like I’ve found where I’m meant to be. Corny as shit? Maybe. But that doesn’t change the fact that there are definitely some intense feelings here.

Cory rocks her hips slightly, and I groan from both pain and pleasure. It feels so good at this moment, but it has to stop.