The Friendship List(59)

“I’ve never known what you used them for,” she admitted, grateful for the change in subject. “Alpacas have those fibers, but what do llamas do? Aside from spit?”

“You have a fancy smartphone. You could look it up.”

“Later,” she told him. “Then I’ll report back.”



fourteen


After dinner, Unity and Thaddeus decided to catch a movie. When it was over, he drove her home. Despite the fact that it was close to nine, it was still light outside. The sun had set, but the last rays had yet to fade.

Unity found herself getting more and more nervous as they approached her house and she had no idea why. They’d had a great time with each other. Being around him was always so easy. Yes, she’d sucked at rock climbing, but at least she’d tried. She’d learned more about him and she had a homework assignment to study up on llamas. So why was there a knot forming in her stomach and a sense of impending doom?

When they reached the house, Thaddeus turned off the engine and got out of the car. She did, as well, oddly reluctant to walk to the front door. She told herself not to be ridiculous, that she was fine. This was her neighborhood, it wasn’t even totally dark. What was she afraid of?

“This was fun,” she said as they reached the front porch and she faced him. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

His dark gaze locked with hers. The tension inside of her doubled in size and she wanted to throw herself inside the house. But first there was the pesky matter of getting out her key, then opening the door, and right now both tasks seemed impossible.

He took a step closer. She was torn between backing away and staying where she was. The indecision gave him just enough time to reach up and cup her face in his hands.

The feel of warm skin against her own immobilized her. She could only watch as he moved closer, then lightly brushed his mouth against hers.

The kiss was soft and brief, barely any contact. She wasn’t sure she even felt it. She was too caught up in the fact that, for the first time in her life, a man other than Stuart had kissed her.

Oh, there had been kisses on the cheek from friends, but nothing like this. Nothing that was romantic. No, she told herself. Not romantic. Sexual.

He drew back enough to meet her gaze. “You okay?”

Her nod was automatic and possibly a lie, but she wasn’t going to admit she was uncomfortable with something that innocuous.

He leaned in again, pressing his mouth to hers. This time he lingered and she felt the heat of his body, the sensation of his lips against hers. Everything was unfamiliar. She was used to kissing Stuart and this wasn’t that. But it wasn’t awful, either. Thaddeus smelled nice. When he dropped his hands to her waist, he didn’t grab her and pull her close. He held her loosely, as if he wanted her to know she could pull away at any second.

He slowly moved back and forth, just enough to create a little friction. Her lips seemed to become more sensitized and she nearly dropped her bag so she could wrap her arms around him. Deep down inside, she felt a familiar spiraling need as the most female part of her struggled to come back to life.

Without thinking or planning, she put her free hand on his shoulder and parted her lips in a silent invitation. He lightly touched the tip of his tongue to hers, then withdrew.

He stepped back and gave her a rueful smile. “I don’t think we should push it,” he told her. “Good night, Unity.”

He walked to his car and waited until she let herself inside, then he drove away. She stood in the living room, her body painfully awakening, making her uncomfortable, and her lips still tingling from Thaddeus’s kiss.

  The bus pulled into Santa Barbara late in the morning. The drive had been quiet, with most of the teens dozing on the way. Ellen appreciated the chance to relax in her seat, enjoying the scenery on the way up from Los Angeles.

As they drove into the city, she moved to sit behind Keith.

“We’re going to be too early to check in to the hotel,” she said. “But I’d like to swing by anyway and make sure the rooms are all blocked to be close together.”

“Sounds like a plan. We can have lunch there, then head down to the beach. There’s a place to buy kites. I thought the guys would enjoy flying them before they have to get dressed up for tonight.”

UC Santa Barbara was hosting an evening for potential freshmen. Over a hundred had been invited, including their eleven. The program began at four and went until eleven. There was a dinner, speakers who would talk about life on campus and a chaperoned party where the students could get to know each other.

Lissa joined Ellen. “Are you talking about this afternoon?”

“We are,” her dad told her. “Want to go fly kites?”

Lissa sighed heavily then turned to Ellen. “Want to go shopping? There are some cute boutiques downtown. I remember them from last year.”

Ellen met Keith’s gaze in the mirror. He gave her a slight nod.

“Sure,” she said easily. “Let’s do that. I can’t remember the last time I shopped in a boutique. I’m sure the prices will make me faint and then you can use your first aid certificate knowledge to revive me.”

Lissa grinned. “We’ll find you some cute clothes. That will make you feel better. Are you two going out to dinner or something while we’re on campus?”