Page 31 of The Perfect Distraction

Chapter Ten

She sat back down and clasped her hands in her lap, wondering what would happen next.

Placing a hand atop hers, he said, “What do you want, Beth? Do you want me to leave?”

She shook her head because, that much, she knew. It was the rest she was unsure of.

“If it helps any, I’m nervous too.”

“You are?”

“Of course. I haven’t been with anyone…well, in a long time.”

“Me neither,” she whispered.

“We don’t have to do anything if you don’t want to. You just have to tell me.”

“Ha! You make it sound so easy.”

He laughed, the sound of it infusing her with comfort and warmth. Some other guy might not have stopped to have a conversation, but here he was asking what she wanted and letting her take the lead.

“We could just talk,” he said, rubbing his thumb back and forth along the back of her hand.

“Or you could kiss me,” she said, surprising them both.

“I can do that.”

Instead of crashing his lips down on hers, he slowly grazed his hands up her arms and then cupped her face, his eyes searching hers for any sign of discomfort.

She doubted that he saw any because all she felt was anticipation—the good kind. And then he lowered his head and brushed his lips against hers. It was the softest whisper at first, like the wings of a butterfly fluttering gently on the breeze. He paused for a moment as if waiting for permission, but when she gripped his biceps and parted her lips, he groaned and deepened the kiss.

When was the last time a kiss felt this good? She honestly couldn’t remember. During the engagement period with Christopher, sex had taken a backseat to their wedding preparations. But now she realized there’d been more to it than that. Maybe he’d been considering breaking up with her for a lot longer than she knew. But none of that mattered because now Colton was trailing his lips from her mouth to her neck, and she tipped her head to the side to give him better access.

Her body was flooded with sensations, and she soaked them all in, wrapping them around her like a cocoon. Somehow, her hands had found their way into the soft hair at his nape, and she relished the feel of it between her fingers.

Just then, he popped his head up and said, “We good?”

“Yes. Keep going.”

He immediately went back to kissing her neck, and she sighed. After another minute or two, Colton wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her onto his lap.

“It’s more comfortable this way,” he explained.

But she wasn’t up for conversation. “More kissing, please,” she said and placed her lips on his before he could respond. He laughed against her mouth and enthusiastically resumed kissing her.

She’d always believed you could tell a lot about a person by the way they kissed. Not that she’d had that many experiences, but there were a few that stood out. Case in point: her first kiss in junior high, when her so-called-boyfriend had slammed her up against the lockers and smothered her with sloppy wet kisses. Memorable, but not in a good way.

By the time she’d reached high school, the boys had a bit more experience while still lacking some finesse. And then there was Christopher, but she didn’t want to think about him. All she wanted to think about was what was happening right now and how great a kisser Colton was.

In all their jostling, her dress had ridden up to mid-thigh, and she hadn’t bothered to pull it back down. She’d been acutely aware that Colton’s hand rested on her upper thigh, and now it was sliding dangerously close to panty territory. She’d been enthralled with his hands from the start, and now was no different; however, it did give her pause.

Do I let him keep going? Do I stop him? I’m sure it would feel wonderful, but is it too soon? What base are we on anyway? I need to read up on this!

Suddenly, he stopped and said, “You’re overthinking this.”

She nodded since there was no use denying it.

“Do you want me to stop?”