Page 20 of Sheltered

Eventually, a smile spread across his face. “You’re amazing. Do you know that?”

“What?”

He let out a laugh and tugged his arm in the opposite direction, forcing me to move toward him. Then he took me by the hand and led me outside. For a moment, we stood there and watched as the rain fell hard.

Blaze glanced over at me. “Are you sure?”

I pressed my lips together, smiling, and nodded.

The next thing I knew, we were running through the parking lot toward Blaze’s truck at the far end, and we were getting drenched.

I was screaming, he was laughing, and we were both attempting to avoid the puddles on the ground.

By the time we made it to the passenger’s side of the truck, my hair and clothes were soaked. I probably looked dreadful. But I wasn’t eager to get inside. Instead, I prevented Blaze from opening my door, stepped closer to him, and said, “Thank you for bringing me out here today to do this. It’s the most fun I’ve ever had.”

He swallowed hard. “I’m glad you enjoyed yourself, Harlow.”

The rain was pounding down on us, but it felt like the perfect moment. “Do you know what I forgot to add to my list last night?”

“What?”

“I’ve never been kissed in the rain.”

The look in Blaze’s eyes grew dark and intense. “Harlow,” he whispered.

“Will you kiss me?”

Without a second of hesitation, he slid his arm around my waist, hauled me up against his body, and drove his other hand into my wet hair. I was a bunch of nerves, my belly trembling. It felt like there was a swarm of butterflies dancing there, and my fingers dug into the material of his shirt at his chest and shoulders.

When Blaze’s hand settled at the back of my skull, he gripped my hair firmly there, angled my head slightly, and brushed his lips against mine.

He was teasing me, and for someone who hadn’t been kissed in more than ten years, it felt like torture.

I whimpered.

And that was all it took.

Blaze captured my mouth in a bruising kiss. My fingertips pressed in firmly against him, my body melting into his. Blaze took my weight, held me tighter against him, and delivered the best kiss of my life.

We’d had such a wonderful and fun day together, and all the tension that built between us throughout the day had led us to this moment.

It was perfect.

It was everything I could have ever wanted in a first kiss with a guy.

And when Blaze’s tongue ran along the seam of my lips, I parted them instantly. The way he kissed was indescribable. I didn’t know how it could feel like he was taking everything he could get from me while giving me all he had in return.

Just like the day we’d had together, our first kiss was magical.

Blaze groaned and eventually tore his mouth away. He rested his forehead against mine as the both of us fought to catch our breath. “You are the most amazing woman I’ve ever met,” he declared.

With our lips just inches apart, I smiled and said, “You’re not so bad yourself.”

“I need to kiss you again, Harlow.”

The rain fell harder.

“So, what are you waiting for?”