Blind Kiss(11)

He slowed and stopped just after placing one last delicate kiss on my lips.

“Whoa!” Ling shouted. “It just got way hotter in here.”

Gavin and I laughed nervously. We were no longer touching. It felt odd. I wanted to bury my head in his chest.

I was still standing motionless when Ling said, “Not yet, Gavin. We have some questions first before you take off your blindfold.”

He clapped his hands together. “I’m just dying for that gift card, you know?”

I could tell he was being sarcastic.

“Okay, Gavin,” Ling said, “what do you think Penny was trying to tell you with that kiss?”

“Tell me? I think I did most of the talking. Wouldn’t you agree, honey?”

I laughed abruptly and nervously.

He went on. “Confidence, maybe.”

No one had ever said that to me.

“What about you, Penny?”

“It was . . . sensual.”

“Yes,” Gavin agreed, nonchalantly.

“Okay, you can take off your blindfolds.”

I pulled mine over my head. He did the same. We saw each other. He was gorgeous, with warm green eyes and an angled jawline. His full lips were slightly parted. He was staring at me, squinting, and then he said softly, “Hi, beauty.”

“Hi.”

“Do you two feel closer now, or is it strange?” asked Ling.

I shrugged absentmindedly as I stared at Gavin.

He smiled. “How ’bout I buy you a coffee? I have connections around here, you know?” He winked. We were lost, and totally ignoring Ling.

“You guys,” Ling said. We both turned and looked at her. She had her hand on her hip. “We’re not done yet.”

“Okay,” I mumbled.

“Penny, are you more nervous now than you were before? Look at Gavin and answer the question.”

I turned to face him. “Yes.” Oh my god, his eyes were like truth serum to me.

There was a small, tight smile playing on his lips. “Why?” he asked.

“I don’t know . . . I like you.” Did I just say that? What is wrong with me? He’s stunning me with his lips. My brain is not working. I’ve been drugged.

Now his smile grew into a wide grin. I looked down and noticed my nipples were hard and obviously peeking through my thin, tight tank top.

He followed my eyes, then looked back up at my lips. I crossed my arms over my chest.

“How about that coffee to warm you up?” he said.

That’s not why my nipples were hard. “Maybe.”

For the first time since I had removed the blindfold, I looked around the room. The four other psych students were discussing something in the corner while Ling scoured her clipboard.

“Are we done?” Gavin asked.

“Yeah, I guess we can call it. I’ll walk you guys out,” Ling said.

Gavin took my hand unselfconsciously and led me off the stage. Our hands were clasped like it was the most normal thing in the world. In the holding room, Ling looked down at our linked fingers and scribbled something on her clipboard. She came over to my ear and said, “He’s hot,” loud enough for him to hear.

Gavin laughed.

“Here’re your coffee cards.” She handed four to me but only gave one to Gavin. They were ten dollars each.

“Hey, why’d you get four?”

“I’m a good negotiator,” I said.

“Guess you’re buying.”

I had told P-Doug I’d come back after the study to run over our partner routine again at four, and it was already three fifteen.

“I don’t have much time. I have a dance practice at four.”

“Well, let’s get goin’, Boo.”

The tension was dissipating. How could a guy be so confident while also being so natural and casual? It was charming. He led me toward the hall. “Bye, Ling!” I said.

She was looking at us with a wicked smile. “Bye, you two.”

When we were about halfway down the hallway, we heard Ling and the other psych students clapping and cheering. Apparently they got what they needed.

“That was by far the weirdest thing I’ve ever done,” I told Gavin.

I let go of his hand to put my sweatshirt back on. He walked quickly in front of me and pushed the glass doors open. The cold air blasted my face. He turned, grasped my neck with both hands, and kissed me again.

When he pulled away, his eyes were open. He was staring at my mouth. “It’s freezing out here, huh?” he said.

“Again,” I said.

He pushed me up against the building wall and kissed me, harder this time.

When he stopped, he asked, “Do you have a boyfriend?”

“No.”

“Come on then. I don’t want to be late for our first date.”

“I . . . I mean, I have to . . .”

“Come on, Java Hut awaits.” He was fun, spontaneous, full of life.

Inside the Java Hut, we went to the counter and Gavin pulled out his coffee card. “I’m treating, even though you managed to swindle four of these out of those poor psych majors. I mean, we both know I did most of the work back there.”

“Hey, I wasn’t so bad.”

His expression turned serious. “No, you definitely weren’t bad. Now what’ll it be, little dancing queen?”