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"Thanks" I placed es of Dae to say "Thanks for the flowers again They’re really pretty"

"I’iving them to you"

"No They’re perfect" I so over?"

He finished up the wine cooler and rinsed it before tossing it in the trash Mo-of-her-wine-cooler part "Sure," he said "But I kind of have some bad news I can only stay for half an hour tops We have so in lastthe disappointive you much notice"

"Are you sure? I feel like such a tool"

"Of course You’re not a tool You did bring rinned "Well, I want to ht?"

I shookthe day with my mom"

"How about Monday?" he asked "Do your parents let you out on a school night?"

"It’s just my mom, but yes, she does"

"Good There’s this little Indian restaurant I saw in town" He inched closer There was a slight scent of aftershave that reminded me of the conversation I’d had with Lesa about how boys slanced around, biting my lip "You ready to head over now?"

"Yep, if you do one thing"

"Which is?"

"Well, two things" Another step closer and his shoes were touching mine I had to tip o over"

I felt a little dizzy, staring in his eyes "What are the two things?"

"You’ve got to give ot toonto aze "And a kiss"

"A kiss?" I whispered

His lips spread in a crooked smile "I need you to reuys all over you"

"I don’t know about that"

"You will So? Is it a deal?"

My breath slowed inhi Daemon? Would the world burn or just siet the boy next door in a simple kiss

"Deal," I murmured

His hand found my cheek, and I closed my eyes Blake whispered my name My mouth opened, but there were no words to be spoken There was just anticipation and the need to lose htly, testingI placed htened when he swept his lips over ain

His kiss deepened, and I felt like I i at the same time I kissed hi me closer I waited breathlessly in between kisses for so inside er, and sadness--which were nothing I was searching for

Blake broke contact, breathing heavily His lips were ripe, swollen "Well, I will definitely re Nothing had been wrong with that kiss, other than it was lacking so, I was thinking toohiirls in the books I read, delving into a guy headfirst without even thinking about it Practical Katy still lived inside me, and she wasn’t happy hat I’d done And it wasme that my heart hadn’t been in that kiss because of so," he said, and his hand found h me Maybe if Daemon saw me happy with Blake, he wouldn’t feel compelled to pursue our unreal connection I felt sick "Yes I’ the driveway and all the way down to the eht this was supposed to be a little party?"

Dee had really outdone herself She’d dug up nuh their s, thick candles spread throughout flickered softly A warm, pleasant cider-and-spice s me how much I loved the smell of autumn

People were everywhere inside, packed on the couch, surrounding two guys in a Wii deaththe staircase, laughing as they drank froo two feet without bu into so the hostess She looked beautiful in her delicate white dress that highlighted the darkness of her hair and the eether, she barely hid her surprise…or disappoint, I pulled free and gave her a tight hug "Wow The house looks great"

"It does, doesn’t it? I’m a natural" She looked over my shoulder "Katy…?"

My cheeks burned "He’smy hand "I have to bail soon, but I wanted to escort her to the party"

"Escort her?" She glanced at hio…check on some stuff Yeah" Then she floated away, back stiff

I tried to not let her disappointet to me She couldn’t seriously want one down that path with a human and look what happened