“That’s true.” A small smile touched her lips, but it faded quickly. “But I just—I just wanted to know, and if I go without seeing him, I’ll have wasted the trip here, and—” She swiped a sleeve over her eyes and tried to take more deep breaths, but then her face collapsed and her shoulders shook.
Fuck, she was crying for real now. Something much like panic gripped him. She couldn’t cry. She was supposed to be happy for the both of them because he didn’t know how.
He grabbed one of her hands. Hand-holding was good, right? But then she leaned toward him, and soon he was hugging her as she buried her face against his neck. The air rushed out of his lungs. She was in his arms, turning to him, trusting him, just like that time she’d had the nightmare.
It was terrifying. It was wonderful.
He didn’t know what to do other than hold her tighter. Students crossed the plaza. Birds chirped in the trees, and a soft breeze blew. Sunlight was warm against his face. She nuzzled closer, and the weight of her body pressed on him. He felt the impression of lips on his neck.
Did that count as a kiss?
She turned her face to the side and peered up at him through damp eyelashes, and he brushed the residual moisture on her cheek away with his thumb. So soft, so pretty. He stroked wet tendrils of hair back from her temples, and her lips parted.
In an instant, everything changed. The wind became velvet, and sound was the loudness of his heart and the rush of his blood. Colors brightened and danced. The green of her eyes, the yellow of her shirt, the blue of the summer sky, it all centered around the pink of her mouth.
He didn’t realize what he was doing until he saw his fingertips smooth over her bottom lip. What a sight to see his tanned skin against her pale face. Her eyes went luminous and dreamy, and when he ran his fingertip over her lip again, her mouth opened wider. He found himself leaning toward her, wanting, wanting, wanting, but he managed to stop before he broke all his rules.
“You can kiss me,” she said, her voice half whisper, half husky rasp. “Anytime you want, you can kiss me.”
Girl loves boy loves girl repeated in his head. He couldn’t love her, couldn’t make her any promises. He should stay away from her.
Eyes steady on his, she continued, “You can kiss me … and touch me … and not marry me. I just … want to be with you. Before I go.”
Her words sent clashing reactions through him. His stomach bottomed out at the idea of her leaving, but concurrently, tension drained from his muscles. She’d given permission and made it clear she had no expectations. Kissing her wasn’t connected to dating or a relationship or marriage or love. He could just kiss her because he wanted to.
He could kiss her.
His skin went hot, and he knew it was going to happen. He was going to kiss Esme. It was inevitable now.
He brushed the backs of his fingers across her cheek, and a shaky breath sighed between her lips. He had to taste them, had to know them.
Now.
Cradling her jaw in his hand, he leaned toward her.
“Esmeralda, it is you,” a loud voice interrupted in a thick Russian accent.
? ? ?
Oh no, that voice was familiar.
Esme jerked away from Kh?i with a start, and her heart dropped when her fears were confirmed. It was her. “Hi, Angelika.”
Kh?i looked from her to the tall blond Russian woman, and Esme broke out in a cold sweat. He was going to find out she was a big liar, and then he was going to look down on her more.
“I did not know you have a boyfriend,” Angelika said.
Kh?i didn’t correct Angelika. Maybe that meant something, but Esme didn’t have time to think about it. They needed to leave right away. Maybe if they were fast, Kh?i wouldn’t figure it out.