Total pages in book: 18
Estimated words: 15998 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 80(@200wpm)___ 64(@250wpm)___ 53(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 15998 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 80(@200wpm)___ 64(@250wpm)___ 53(@300wpm)
“I am too.” Tate shifted, turning more toward me. “Welcome home, Tennessee.”
The air was frosty enough that my cheeks and nose stung, but still, I couldn’t look away from Tate, who was suddenly way more compelling than the world-class view. He was close enough now that I could feel his warm breath. Time slowed along with my heart, which threatened to pound out of my chest, a bass drum marking each second of Tate’s approach. He moved with glacial precision, his destination beyond obvious but his pace such that I could easily pull away.
As if.
I’d waited my whole life for this moment without even knowing it.
Chapter Six
Tate
I’d brought Tennessee up a mountain or, more accurately, a very large hill merely for the chance for the perfect first kiss. And sitting side-by-side on the bench with the city of Mount Hope below us, the moment wasn’t going to get any better than this.
I moved in slowly, putting the brakes on my usual pedal-to-the-metal approach to life. Not only was Tennessee skittish, similar to my dog and her timid disdain for change, but he also deserved a gentle wooing, not a steamroller. I needed him to want this as much as I did. I could be happy with the privilege of being his best friend again, but now that I’d met his grownup self, I wanted so much more.
I wanted everything.
But I could be patient.
So, I waited, mouth millimeters from his. So far, so good. He didn’t pull away. And then he did something even better: he smiled.
A happy, shy little grin before a chuckle escaped his lips.
“Don’t be nervous,” I whispered.
“I’m not.” He was lying, but under the nerves, the adorable eagerness in his eyes was all the encouragement I needed.
“Good.” And then I kissed him. A soft brush of lips. His fuzzy beard was an unexpected delight, one of a dozen new things I loved about adult Tennessee. I couldn’t wait to add even more things to the list.
Tennessee’s laugh turned to a gasp, then a small moan as he leaned in to meet me partway. “Yes.”
I traced his lips with the tip of my tongue before deepening the kiss. He tasted like Valentine’s Day—a mix of mint, chocolate, snow, and earthiness. Sweetness and lust mingling. I’d had other first kisses, but I couldn’t recall a single detail right then. Rather, I wanted a snapshot of this exact moment for the rest of my life.
The certainty I’d felt ever since Saturday intensified with every movement. My chest ached from holding back the rising swell of my emotions. But somehow, I simply knew.
This was my last first kiss.
I was determined to take my time. He made a delighted noise as I explored and tasted, making it harder to go slow, but if this was the first kiss of the rest of my life, I could damn well make it last.
And last it did, Tennessee clinging to me with his left hand as I gathered him even closer. We kissed as the night sky darkened, more stars arriving to observe the shift in my universe. We kissed as we both shivered and laughed and kissed and shivered some more.
“I don’t wanna move, but I don’t want to turn into a snow cone either.” I gave a frustrated moan, reluctantly letting my good sense return. “Want to warm up in the truck?”
I stood before I could give into the temptation of more chilly kisses and offered him a hand.
“Is that what the kids of Mount Hope are calling it these days?” Chuckling, Tennessee let me tug him off the bench.
“Follow me, and I’ll show you.” Flipping on my flashlight’s high beam, I carefully led us down the rocky stairs. Our competing injuries made it nearly impossible to hold hands, but I kept close and paused at the base of the stairs to steal one more kiss. He greeted me like I’d been away weeks rather than three minutes, and his eagerness was a better aphrodisiac than anything ever dreamed up for Valentine’s Day.
“Did you bring me up here to make out?” He laughed, but there was an underlying seriousness. Tennessee had a big, vulnerable heart, and he needed to trust that I wouldn’t hurt it.
“No. Well, yes. The kiss was planned, but I brought you up here to formally apply for the position of boyfriend you have open.” Keeping my voice all professional, I met his gaze before smiling hopefully.
“Soulmate.” His tone was somewhere between confused and censoring. “The CUPID algorithm was supposed to find me a soulmate.”
“Oh.” All the air left my chest at once. Tennessee didn’t want to date me. He wanted to hold out for his supposed soulmate. “I understand.”
“I don’t think you do.” He awkwardly reached for my left hand with his. “The algorithm may have glitched, but somehow I keep thinking…maybe. Like this could be it? For both of us?” He gulped loudly. “Sorry. It’s way too soon and—”