Kiss and Don't Tell(82)

“Yeah.” I take her hand in mine. “I want to fucking date you. I want to take you out, rest my hand on the small of your back while everyone wonders who the hell the gorgeous girl is walking next to me. I want to spoil you, take care of you, give you what you deserve—a man who you can count on, even when things seem tough.”

“I’m not . . . I’m not good enough for you.”

I grip her chin and force her to look at me. “You’re more than enough for me. Understand that?” When she doesn’t say anything, I lean in closer, my eyes connecting with hers. “You’re more than enough, Winnie.” Her lip trembles, and she closes her eyes as a lone tear falls down her cheek. I wipe it away and say, “I will fucking wait. I’ll wait as long as I need to in order for you to come to terms with that.”

“Terms with what?” she asks.

“With the fact that you’re right where you’re supposed to be—in this cabin, holding my hand.”

More tears.

“And you can take all the time you want to come to that realization, as long as you still talk to me. I’ll be waiting.”

“You’re going to wait for me?” She shakes her head. “I don’t get why.”

“Simple, Winnie.” I bring her knuckles to my lips and press a soft kiss to them. “You’re worth the wait.”

Her cheeks blush cutely as she stares at our joined hands. “No one has ever talked to me like that before, the way you talk to me.”

“Good. I’d be pissed if someone else did.”

She lets out a deep sigh. “Thank you for everything, Pacey.”

I force her to meet my eyes. “That sounds like a goodbye.”

She shakes her head. “No, it’s not. Just letting you know how much I appreciate you.”

“So, what does that mean for tomorrow?” I ask.

“I still need to leave. I have some things to take care of and you need to see the doctor.”

“Then meet me in Vancouver, spend the summer with me. Date me.” I’m grasping for anything at this point, because I’m not ready to say goodbye.

She stands from the bed and leads me to her door. Hand on my chest, she looks up at me and says, “I like you a lot, Pacey. Even though I have this feeling like I need to let you go, I know my heart won’t allow it.”

Confused, I ask, “Why would you need to let me go?”

She shakes her head, not getting into it. “If you want to try to date me, then we’ll have to take it slow.”

She’s opening a window and I will fucking take it. But I hate not knowing what’s holding her back.

“I told you, Winnie, I’ll wait. Okay?”

She nods. “Okay.”

Her hands smooth up my chest and to the back of my neck as she lifts her head and kisses the underside of my jaw. She attempts to pull away, but now that she opened that box, I keep her close and lift her chin, my mouth descending on hers. The moment our lips touch, her body melts against mine and her grip tightens.

Clinging to her, my hand travels up the back of her neck and I hold her tight, only allowing her to angle her mouth better, not pull away.

She tastes good.

Really fucking good.

Soft lips, gentle swipes of her tongue. Nothing too aggressive, but also not tentative. She knows what she wants, and that’s me.

Parting her lips, she raises herself onto her toes and swipes her tongue against mine. I match the touch, and then our tongues tangle in a sensual exploration. Fire ignites in my very soul as her fingers thread through my hair. My other hand falls to the small of her back, and I pull her in just an inch more. She moans against my mouth and then releases me, her head falling back.

When my eyes connect with hers, I find disbelief.

She reaches up and presses her fingers gently to her lips, seeming shocked.

“Wow.” She pats my chest. “I should, uh, I should just take a step back here.”

“You’re telling me you’re going to let that go? That electricity—you felt it, didn’t you?”

She nods and moves backward another step. “Yeah, I felt it. I felt it all the way down to my toes, which is why I’m going to put some distance between that heat developing between us.” God, she’s so fucking cute. “And then I’m just going to stick these”—she waves her hands at me—“in my pockets so they don’t do any exploring. And with a gentle but courteous nod, I shall say, good night, dear sir.”

I chuckle. “My body wouldn’t mind those hands doing some exploring.”

“Good to know.” She nods. “Very good to know.” She takes another step back. “Well, glad we covered that. So, yeah, I’ll, uh, I’ll just sit back on my bed and offer you a safe flight for tomorrow.”

I wish she’d offer a hell of a lot more.

“Thank you.” I reach for her doorknob and open her door. I want to tell her that I’ve never met anyone like her before, that she’s worth the wait because I’m not sure I’ll ever want anyone else. But she’s not ready to hear that. Partway out the door, I ask, “Are you sure you’re okay going alone to see your uncle tomorrow?”

“Yeah, I’ll be fine. Keeping my hands to myself tonight, now that will be the true test of strength and courage.”