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Chapter 6
We spend the ride home in near total silence and yet, somehow, I miss exactly how we made it home at all. One moment, the streets were unfamiliar and wild and the next turn, we were back in Ohio. Perhaps I should have been more grateful for the opportunity. Tonight was the first time I’ve ever been out of state, let alone the damn continent.
Ari never did answer my question. His refusal lingers in the back of my mind like an ominous cloud. He wants something from me, something more than my body. What else do I have that’s any value to a man like him?
The car comes to a stop in my driveway and Ari immediately opens his door. I don’t dawdle, quickly sliding over to follow him out. He closes the door behind me and we walk side-by-side up to my front porch.
Ari looks at his watch and smiles. “Nine fifty-five,” he reads aloud. “Home at a decent hour, as promised.”
I nod, looking down. “I’m sure my parents will appreciate that.”
“I’ll return tomorrow,” he says. “Enjoy the rest of your evening, Tannis.”
“I’ll try,” I say.
I reach for the knob but he takes it first. I flinch, startled by the sudden movement as his smile curls for the first time since the restaurant.
“Aren’t you forgetting something?” he asks.
I lower my hand. “What?”
His brow piques. “You agreed to a kiss after each date.”
My breath catches. “Oh, right...”
I lock my knees and tilt slightly to face him. I stand in place and close my eyes, teetering on the edge of nerves as I wait for him to get it over with.
Ari chuckles. “Tannis.”
I open my eyes. “Go ahead.”
“The deal was for you to kiss me,” he says, his voice low and playful.
My heart pounds. I’ve never kissed a boy before. I always thought he’d make that move first, whoever my first kiss would be.
What do I do? Where do I put my hands? How does the tongue thing work?
Ari takes a step closer and I tense up. “Relax,” he whispers. “Wet your lips. Part them slightly.”
Oh, god. He knows.
He knows I have no friggin’ clue what I’m doing.
I do as he says, gently rolling my tongue between my lips.
“You’ll have to get a little closer than this,” he says, that playful tone teasing out.
My ankles jitter as I slide my sandals forward, tapping toes with his shiny, black shoes. He towers over me by at least another head and he tilts down to bring his lips closer.
“You can keep your eyes open if you like,” he says. “Until you’re used to it.”
If I weren’t so damn nervous, I’d be more annoyed by that comment. As if I’d do this more than the three times I’m required to.
I take one more deep breath as I tilt my head a little. That’s what people do, right? Tilt their head to the side to keep the noses from bonking?
“Tannis,”Ari says, “kiss me.”
I push onto my toes to bridge the rest of the gap between us. My entire body shakes, each second feeling longer than the last.
