Listen to Your Heart(16)

How am I going to make this last? What can I possibly do to make it work?

“What’s wrong?” Skye asks softly.

“What do you mean?”

“Your entire body just tensed up. The movie’s almost over, I promise.”

I chuckle. “Nothing’s wrong.”

It’s sort of true. At this moment, everything is perfect.

As the dancers dance and the credits roll, Skye slowly lifts our linked hands out from under the blanket. I watch, spellbound, as her lips brush my fingertips. The sweet, innocent gesture breaks me, and I whisper her name. She tilts her face toward mine, and for the first time, I notice the little flecks of gold in her deep green eyes. Beautiful.

“I don’t usually snuggle under my favorite blanket on a first date,” she says softly.

“Technically, this is our second date.”

“So, I guess snuggling’s okay.”

“I think it’s perfect. You’re perfect. God, Skye, if I’d known . . .”

I close my eyes, hoping to hide my shame. If I’d known Skye Douglas was in the world, I never would have agreed to marry Juliana. But life isn’t fair. We all know it, and nobody knows it better than Juliana and her family. All I’d have to do is tell Jules the truth, and she wouldn’t hesitate to let me go. She’d want me to go. But I made a promise to my best friend—a promise I had every intention of fulfilling until Skye walked into my life.

“Hey,” she whispers, prompting me to open my eyes. “Where’d you go?”

Is two weeks the extent of my happiness? Is that all I’m allowed?

“I’m right here.”

“You don’t look too happy about that. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong. And I am happy. You have no idea how much.”

“Me, too. Still, all of this has happened so fast. It’s kind of overwhelming.” She laughs lightly. “You know, we’re putting an awful lot of pressure on ourselves. I mean, we haven’t even kissed yet. What if it sucks? Then we’re doomed, because I can’t be with someone who doesn’t make my toes curl when we kiss.”

If two weeks is all I’m allowed, then I’m making the most of it.

I slide my hand along the back of her neck, and Skye whimpers as our mouths collide. The blanket falls to the floor as she climbs into my lap, and I pull her close, groaning against her lips when she slides her hands through my hair, tugging gently on the ends as our kiss grows hungrier. There’s a desperation in our kiss, a frantic ache that threatens to swallow us whole if we don’t control ourselves.

Then she shifts against me, pressing her hips roughly into mine, and all thoughts of self-control are shot to hell.

“Caleb,” she pants against my mouth, breathless and beautiful with gorgeous green eyes that sparkle with excitement and need. This is so much more than a first kiss. First kisses are typically sweet and a little playful.

But we aren’t typical.

And I am the biggest asshole on the planet.

Shame courses through me, causing me to break our kiss and bury my face against her neck. We hold each other, giving both of us the chance to catch our breath and find our sanity once again.

“Hey,” she says softly. “Come back to me.”

Smiling into her shining eyes, I pepper her face with tender kisses, silently begging her not to hate me. To have patience with me. To wait for me.

I kiss her again, light and soft and adoring . . . just like a first kiss should be. With a quiet sigh, Skye rests her head against my chest.

“Caleb?”

“Hmm?”

“Are you really as perfect as you seem?”

No. But she doesn’t know that, and I pray I can find a way to keep her from finding out.

“I was just wondering the same thing about you.”

She tilts her head toward mine.

“Caleb, I’m scared.”

“What are you scared of?”

“I’m scared of you. Scared of me. Scared of the way I feel . . . already.”

I close my eyes, overwhelmed by the enormity of her confession. She’s so honest. And I’m . . . not. But I try.

“I’m scared, too. For the exact same reasons.”

“We just know so little about each other. I don’t know your favorite color or favorite band,” she says, laughing. “I don’t even know your last name.”

I chuckle. “Well, those are easy. My favorite color’s green, my favorite band is Pink Floyd, and my last name’s—”

Suddenly, my cell vibrates in my pocket, making us jump. We laugh, and she climbs out of my lap, giving me the chance to grab the phone. I regret it immediately, because a quick glance at my screen causes me to crash back down into reality.

Tux fitting tomorrow. Forever Formals. 124 Brandy Lane. Meet Lynsey at three. Remind the guys. ~ J

“Bad news?” Skye asks, her voice laced with concern.

I turn off my phone and place it on the end table. “Not really. Just a reminder of something I wish I could forget.”

“I’m sorry. The real world sucks sometimes.”

“It really does.”

Skye grabs the remote and turns off the TV before reaching down for the blanket that fell to the floor during our epic first kiss. She snuggles back into my arms.