Pull (Seaside #2)(20)

“What do you want to know?”

“You guys dated?”

“Yup.”

“What happened?”

“Lots happened.” I swallowed. It wasn’t that I wasn’t over Nat. I just had a hard time talking about my own stupidity to a girl I was trying to impress, and I knew that if I told her the whole sob story she’d run away screaming. I mean, I was a complete prick to my brother and to her. I didn’t want Alyssa thinking that I was the same guy anymore. Because I wasn’t.

“It’s a long story. I’m happy for her, though, we’re still really close.”

“That’s it?” She pushed away from me and shivered.

I cursed and pulled her close again. “Tell you what. A secret for a secret.”

“W-what?”

“You heard me.” I reached down and tilted her chin up. “If I tell you something that’s hard for me to discuss, then you need to tell me something that’s hard for you. That way we’ll be even.”

Alyssa tried to pull her chin away. I wouldn’t let her.

She glared.

I smiled.

We were like fire and ice, and I loved it.

I could tell she was getting uncomfortable, because she refused to look at me; instead she bit her lip. “I’ll try.”

“Good.” I released her chin, but she didn’t move to the position she was in before. Instead, she leaned forward.

Alyssa’s lips were parted just slightly. Now that the panic was over, I remembered what they felt like to touch. Just one kiss.

What girl freaks out over one kiss?

I cupped her face and touched my lips to hers, just barely. I didn’t want to scare her, and I didn’t want the kiss to be one of those kisses that happen after a near-death experience.

Her mouth was warm and inviting; it tasted like the ocean. I had never been one for good self-control. I used my tongue to part her lips, just a bit. I wanted to taste more.

She stiffened, and then opened her mouth.

I took full advantage.

My arms went around her waist, pulling her tighter against me. In the back of my mind I remembered that my wetsuit was too tight for me to be in any state of arousal, but I didn’t care.

Trouble. She was absolute trouble. Clearly she had no idea how good of a kisser she was. As her tongue tangled with mine, her cold hands came up to cup my face. I allowed myself to completely lose control. Never had I ever felt the need to be so vulnerable with another human being.

It scared the hell out of me.

I pulled back.

Her face was flushed, her lips swollen. I wished in that moment I could convey to her how beautiful she was to me, how wanted she was, how treasured she was. I wanted to lay claim to her, but at the same time just hold her hand. I wanted to sleep with her, but at the same time, the idea was almost repulsive. She deserved more than what I knew I was capable of giving.

But it didn’t keep me from wanting to give it to her.

To give her everything.

I sighed. “You’re a good friend.” And insert nail into relationship coffin here.

I wrapped my arms around her and picked her up, not allowing her to say any sarcastic remark back. My lips found hers again as I twirled her around.

After a few minutes I pulled away and placed her on her feet. “Can you walk?”

“After the kiss or after my near drowning?” She lifted an eyebrow.

“Oh, I totally forgot you almost died. I was just thinking about the kiss,” I teased.

Her eyes widened and then a horrified look flashed across her face. She jumped away from me, jerking up her wetsuit.

Without saying anything she took off toward the boardwalk.

“Lyss, wait up.”

“Don’t call me that.”

“What? Lyss, what happened?” I grabbed her wrist to try to get her to stop.

“This was a mistake. We can’t be friends, Demetri. It won’t work.”

“I agree.” I cursed. “I want to be so much more than that.”

What the hell was I doing? I’d known her a total of two weeks, and that didn’t really count, considering I’d been stalking her! Drugs. I needed drugs, not a girlfriend!

Alyssa licked her lips and looked away. “I don’t know if I can handle it.”

“And I can?”

She looked at me. I mean, really looked, as if she could see to the depths of my soul. “We’re screwed up, you and me.”

“Don’t I know it.” I ran my fingers through my hair. “But what if that’s what makes us perfect for each other?”

“What if you take the one part of me that’s finally started to breathe without crying?”

Her honesty shocked me. I didn’t have any words to give her. I didn’t think one mind-blowing kiss would cause us to get this serious.

“Slow.” I reached out to her, grazing her arm with my hand.

“Let’s go slow, because I really need a friend right now.”

“So it’s about you?” Her eyes crinkled as if she was trying not to smile.

“Always is. I am a celebrity you know.”

“Right.” She laughed and kicked some sand with her foot.

“We should get cleaned up.”

“Dinner.” I blurted before I could retract the statement and punch myself in the face. “Let me cook you dinner.”