him in. This is so not how I thought this would go down. But I buy what he’s telling me. I just don’t feel like he’d be able to fake it that well.
“So you’re really not just pretending to be my friend?” I ask.
“I swear, I’m not. I truly do like you. Do you still like me?”
Isn’t that a loaded question?
“I do,” I say. “And I don’t. I can’t believe you lied to me, but there’s this other part of me that…”
“What? What does this other part of you want?”
“It wants to kiss you so bad.”
He grins. “Then do it.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Show me what you got, Miller.”
Hearing him say my name sends me into overdrive.
“Sure thing,” I say, and then I step closer to him.
A smart person wouldn’t do this.
But that smart person wouldn’t get kissed.
So how smart are they, really?
I put my hand on the side of his face and hold it there. He closes his eyes at my touch. Then I lean forward and gently press my lips to his. He smiles, tilts his head, then kisses me. My eyes widen, and I’m so shocked I only just remember to kiss back at the last second. Because I’m so aware that my first kiss is happening RIGHT NOW.
And the kiss itself? It’s incredible. It’s just, different from what I thought it’d be. I can feel it everywhere. His lips are so soft, backed with just enough pressure to be worth my time.
He pulls back. “Want to keep going?”
“Yeah.”
The word is filled with want. I didn’t even know I could sound like that.
He pushes me up against the wall and starts kissing harder.
I lose myself.
He starts unbuttoning my shirt. I do the same, with his. It’s sort of a scramble. We’re still in suits and ties, but I want to see as much of his body as I can. I run my hand down his bare chest, to his stomach. I’ve wanted to do this the whole time, and now I finally can.
But then I come back to myself.
What am I doing?
“Hey,” I say, pushing him back.
His shirt is hanging open now, and every part of me wants to touch him even more. His chest is all smooth, hard planes.
“What?”
“I want to hear it from you. Who are you?”
“I’m Jason. You know me.”
“But what’s your last name?”
He lowers his hands and looks into my eyes. My whole body sort of aches.
“Donovan,” he says. “Should I stop?” he asks.
I shake my head.
He grabs me by the shirt, pulls me to him, and kisses me again.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
I kissed Jason Donovan.
I’d be totally lying if I said I regret it. Because I straight-up don’t.
But it might be the stupidest thing I’ve ever done. It might be the stupidest thing anyone has ever done.
He’s a Donovan, and I’m a Miller. We’re supposed to be mortal enemies. We shouldn’t even be friends. And yet, I keep finding myself thinking about how it felt.
Right now I’m standing at the back of a ballroom. It’s the Miller ball, so everyone around me is either from our family or one who’s allied with us. It’s a totally over-the-top spectacle, complete with waiters in white suits serving canapés. There’s also this massive swan ice sculpture in the middle of the room. A band in tuxedos is at the back, playing slow classical music.
The room we’re in is pretty over-the-top, too. The walls are this pretty soft gold color, and a crystal chandelier hangs from the ceiling. I wonder how much it’s worth … and how many people were hurt so our family can afford all of this.
It’s cool, but also probably not worth however much it cost.
But who cares.
I kissed a Donovan.
I keep finding myself thinking about how it felt to be kissed by him. Because seriously: He’s a great kisser. He acted like he knew exactly what he was doing, like he’s done it a bunch before. I get all the hype about kissing now, because there’s nothing else like it. I don’t know how people do anything other than make out all the time.
It was my first kiss, but I know it was a good one. That was the kind of kiss people write songs about. It was magical and perfect, and I want almost desperately to do it again.
I can’t, though.
I went to the dance to find out if my theory is correct. To find out his last name.
Now that I know what it is, I can’t ever see him again.
Donovans and Millers have hated each