hands knew what to do from earlier today. They went to his shoulders, sliding until they were on the back of his neck, feeling the heat in his skin.
I’d never kissed a boy before Ray, and now I knew I wouldn’t again. Ray was more than some guy at school. The way he made my body come alive and fall apart in his hands was everything. No one would be able to replace this feeling, not even come close.
Slowly, agonizingly, he pulled away from our kiss, and when he was far enough away, I could feel air instead of his breath on me, and it stung my raw lips. They were sensitive now, primed for more.
“Your lips are amazing,” he said, proving it with another kiss that took my breath away and warmed me from the inside out.
His touch fogged all thought, clouded all fears, and I was in the moment, enjoying him and the possibilities of right now, because that was all we had, and I was going to make the most of it.
Ray wasn’t the kind of guy you planned for, clung to. No, he was the one you accepted as the gift he was and worried about the consequences later. Because right now, with his hands moving over my hips, clutching my waist, treating me like I was someone to be desired—each second that passed was better than the one before. I would enjoy each one, no matter how long it would last.
Forty-Four
I lay with my head on Ray’s chest, still underneath our blanket fort. He wrapped one of my curls around his finger, playing with it in a slow, mesmerizing rhythm.
“What time is it?” I asked.
He tapped his computer screen. “Two in the morning.”
“If your mom finds out we’re up, she’ll kill us. You know she could, too.”
A chuckle fell from his parted lips, vibrating the spot where my head was on his chest. “She’s all talk. Ten bucks she’s snoring away.”
His stomach growled, and I laughed. “Hungry?”
“Always. Want to do something about it?”
I lifted my head and looked at him. “What were you thinking?”
“Ice cream?”
Jokingly, I made a big show of licking my lips.
He caught my wrist with his hand. “Don’t do that.”
“Why?”
“You’ll make me want to kiss you again.”
I licked my lips.
With a growl, he gently flipped me onto my back and lowered his head to mine, kissing my neck, my chin, my cheek, and finally lingering on my lips.
I kissed him back, resting my hands atop his muscular shoulders.
His stomach growled again, and he groaned as I laughed.
“Be right back,” he growled.
Laughing, I settled onto my pillow and waited for him to come back. The blanket fort didn’t feel as magical without him in it, but then again, maybe Ray was the magic.
He came back, bringing two sundae cones with him. He sat with his back against the couch, his head pressing against the top blanket. He patted his lap, and I laid my head there, then began opening my wrapper.
“I haven’t had one of these in forever,” I said.
He took a bite of the chocolaty top. “You’ve been missing out.”
“I know.” I reached my head up and bit off the bottom part of his cone, and the chocolate-filled part exploded with flavor in my mouth.
“Hey!” he said. “That’s the best part.”
“I know,” I laughed, still crunching it.
He wrestled mine from my hand and bit off the bottom. “Now we’re even.”
I took it back. “Not quite. But we’ll settle the score later.”
“Uh huh.” He licked the bottom part of his cone where the ice cream was beginning to melt, and man, was it sexy. “You know, when my siblings and I were younger, we’d bite off the bottom, suck the ice cream through like a straw, then crunch the cone.”
“Doesn’t everyone?” I teased. “As far as I’m concerned, that’s the only way to eat a sundae cone.”
He laughed and pointed at the bottom of his cone. “Well, you leave me no choice.” He started slurping the bottom, and I reached up and smacked his hard abs.
“You are the grossest eater!”
“What?” He looked at me, ice cream coating his lips. “Want to say that to my face?”
I moved from the lying position I’d been in so we were sitting side by side, and I pressed my lips to his, tasting the ice cream and Ray. The combination of the flavors was tantalizingly sweet.
Feeling the bottom of my cone drip over my fingers, I pulled back and took care of that mess. “Now I really