Page 12 (1/2)

"Where do you want me?" More breathless than I’d intended, my question seemed a brazen proposition Wow Could I be any more obvious? Maybe I should just come out and ask his attached

My insides went liquid fro ruff

Oh, God "Okay" I e of the mattress as he swept the hoodie and the cap to the floor My heart was pounding, waiting

He peered atto the side "Um You look really uneasy We don’t have to do this if you don’t want to"

We don’t have to do what? I thought, wishing I could ask hi him that if so, it was a pretense he didn’t need to maintain I looked him in the eye "I want to"

He stuck the pencil over his ear, looking unconvinced "Mmm What position would be the most comfortable for you?"

I couldn’t say aloud the answers that popped into my head at that question, but the flush that spread across ht his lower lip in his teeth, and I was sure it was to contain a laugh Most comfortable position? What about with lanced aroundthe foot of ined him in class the other day Except he was in my room, not his own

"Lie down on your sto me"

I did as he toldonto his knees, he h my hair and let it fall overback to his position against the wall, a few feet away

I stared at hi back and forth froan to ertips skiht inasleep?" His voice was soft Near

I openedback on his heels My heart picked up the pace again at his nearness "No" He’d left the pad and pencil on the floor behind hihtly "No I’d like to do another, if you don’t mind" At my nod, he said, "Turn onto your back"

I rolled over slowly, afraid he’d be able to see rabbed the pad and pencil fro down, he let his eyes roaer I knew so little about hi I felt unequivocally: safe

"I’e you, if that’s okay?"

I sed "Uh… sure" My hands were clutched to e, my shoulders hunched almost to my ears What, this isn’t how you want me positioned? I barely contained the nervous twitter that bubbled up at the thought

His fingers encircled the wrist nearest hih it had been thrown back Taking the opposite hand, he splayed ers over my abdomen, sat back, stared atled to breathe nor," he said, his eyes on led it out, leaving it flush against the e "Now tilt your face toward ht to re as I heard the scratch of his pencil across the page, he wasn’t going to touchto the rasp of lead on paper, broken by the soft brush of his finger, s a line or a shadow

Froed, and , I rose to my elbows Landon? But there was no way I could check

Lucas atching me closely "Do you need to check that?"

Landon had ignored my email all afternoon, when in the past he’d answered so pro in my room On my bed I lay back, returned my arms to their prior position, and I shook my head I didn’t close my eyes this time, and he didn’t askonwhile, and then my face He stared into my eyes, back and forth between that intense exa --I wanted to reach up, grab his t-shirt, and pull hiaze flicked there and back

Eyes blazing, he looked down at me "Jacqueline?"

I blinked "Yes?"

"The night we id

"I know tha--" He placed a finger over

"So I don’t want you to feel pressured Or overpowered But I do, absolutely, want to kiss you right now Badly" He trailed his finger over my jaw and down my throat, and then into his lap