Page 26 of All Your Tomorrows

I nodded.

“Why didn’t you sleep with him?”

I swallowed around the sudden lump in my throat. “I don’t know.”

“I don’t believe that,” he said.

“I know everyone sleeps around, but for me, it’s a big decision. I know it sounds lame, but the first guy I’m with needs to be someone special.”

“It doesn’t sound lame. I guess I’m just wondering why you stayed with a guy for a year but didn’t think he was special,” he said.

I mixed the noodles in my cup while pondering his words. I thought I loved Rick. I thought he was eventually going to be endgame for me. But maybe I knew down deep that he wasn’t the one. Maybe I questioned if I could see a future with him.

“You wouldn’t have been able to resist me if we were together,” Kyler said, easing the awkwardness in the room.

Laughter burst out of me. “You don’t think so?”

“I know so,” he said with a huge smile that caused dimples to pucker into his cheeks. “I would’ve lit candles and played soft music.”

“You would’ve set the mood?” I asked.

He nodded slowly. “And we would’ve danced across my parents’ basement like we were at our prom.”

“Your parents’ basement?”

“It’s where I took all the girls in high school.”

I placed my cup of noodles down on the coffee table and threw a pillow at him, hitting him in the head.

“What was that for?” he asked.

“You’re ridiculous.”

“That’s not what the girls used to say,” he assured me.

I rolled my eyes.

“You doubt me?”

“Yes,” I said.

A devilish glint shone in his eyes as he pushed himself off my sofa and moved to the loveseat, sitting down beside me. The cushion beneath me bowed, telling me—despite what I knew to be the truth—that he was very much there. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from his, having no idea what he was doing. “I don’t like being doubted,” he said, the rasp in his voice sending flutters to my belly.

“I was kidding,” I said, though a nervous quiver weakened that assertion.

He lifted his hands to my face, cupping my cheeks gently. “Well, I’m not.” He inched closer to my lips. “And I think you’ve been missing out.”

My eyes dropped to his lips, all shiny and turned up in the corners. “On what?” I whispered.

“On what someone special feels like,” he whispered before closing the distance between us and pressing his lips to mine, firm and assured. Before I could consider what was happening, his tongue swept across the seam of my lips. Goosebumps scampered up my arms as I gave in, my lips parting and my tongue meeting his. A victorious sigh rumbled in the back of his throat before we went all in, our tongues twining and melding and fighting for control. This was happening. This was freaking happening with a spirit and I didn’t want it to end. I wanted to savor how it felt. Savor how he felt. Savor the notion that I could feel anything resembling desire again.

Kyler pulled away first, his hands dropping from my face and his chest heaving. His wild eyes were locked on mine.

“Ummm,” I began, my pulse slamming hard against my skin.

He chuckled. “I told you you’ve been missing out.”

My eyes flashed away, unable to look at his hypnotizing green eyes in such close proximity. So many thoughts rushed through my mind. How was it even possible that I could touch him—let alone kiss him? This was unheard of. This wasn’t normal. This shouldn’t have felt so right. I needed to be the rational one. I needed to stop acting like this was any other guy.