Best Dating Rules, Tamie Dearen [literature books to read txt] 📗

guy like me is pretty offensive to a girl like you. I know I can change.”

“We’ll see, Josh. Seriously, let’s wait and see. Give yourself a week or two, and you’ll work me out of your system. I think I’m just an anomaly.”

“It feels more like cancer to me. I think you’ve metastasized, and I’ll never be able to get rid of you, even if I wanted to try.”

“Okay. Whatever you say. But don’t worry—I won’t get my feelings hurt when you realize this relationship is way more trouble than its worth.”

“You’re definitely a lot of trouble.” He cupped her cheeks with his hands and tilting her head back. “But like I said before, you’re worth it.”

He lowered his mouth to hers and touched their lips together, ever so lightly. Then he brushed his lips across hers and planted tiny kisses around her mouth. He continued to tease her lips until she found her own mouth surging toward his, seeking his warmth. But he held her at bay, gently stroking her lips with his own until they parted. He caught her lower lip between his, and she felt tingles radiating from her mouth down her spine.

When his tongue found hers, he groaned and pressed his mouth against hers more forcefully, his hands tangling in her hair. His breathing became ragged as his kiss raged against her senses. She felt the same dizzying sensation she’d felt the night before. Her knees became jelly, and she started to fall away, but one of his arms dropped down on her back and crushed her against him. All the air left the room, and she gasped for breath through her mouth. But he captured her lips again, and played with her sanity until it was gone. Time froze. She had no idea how long he kissed her. It could have been thirty seconds or thirty minutes.

Suddenly his arms gripped her shoulders and pushed her away. She blinked her eyes, waking from a dream, as reality filtered back into her consciousness. Gazing at him through her lashes, she saw his face had a look of alarm, and he was breathing heavily.

“What was that?” he said. “What just happened?”

“I don’t know,” she mumbled, hurt and confused by his question.

He pulled her back into her arms, squeezing her until she fought to breathe. “I can’t believe that was only a kiss,” he said. “Just a kiss. I can’t feel like that from a kiss.”

She trembled in his arms, and he soothed her, rubbing her back. “I’m sorry, I scared you. I scared myself, too.”

“So I guess... I guess it wasn’t good? I don’t know. I haven’t kissed that many guys.”

“I think it was beyond good. Did any of those other guys even survive? I almost went into cardiac arrest.” His brows arched together. “You liked it, too, right? I mean, it was totally amazing, right?”

She shrugged, smiling. “It was so-so.”

“Maybe I should try again, if that didn’t impress you,” he threatened, chuckling. “Except I don’t think my heart can take any more of that. “

“Okay.” She attempted to extricate herself from his arms. “See ya at Fall Break, if you’re not busy.”

“I really don’t want to let you go.” He held on as she wriggled in his grasp. “Wait... Just... Can I hold you for a minute? Just a minute more?”

Reluctantly, she nodded and relaxed in his arms. She was uncomfortably aware of the heat of his body against her and embarrassed by the rapid pounding of her heart. But his embrace was gentle, caressing her back, nuzzling his face in her hair, until she was ready to melt right where she stood.

He bent down and gave her a parting peck on the forehead before he released her. He placed his hands on either side of her face and forced her gaze upward. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow night.”

“Okay,” she rasped through her cottony throat. Scrambling inside the apartment, she tried to clear her addled brain. It was a good thing she was leaving tomorrow, and he’d soon forget about her. She surely didn’t want to have to deal with Josh again—not after a kiss like that.

Chapter Fourteen

“But, I’m ready to go back to work,” Anne complained. “I’m going crazy here. And if you say you don’t need me, I promise I’ll get my feelings hurt.”

“But the doctor hasn’t cleared you yet,” insisted Steven.

“She said I could do whatever I feel up to doing. That should certainly include work.” When Steven opened his mouth to argue, Anne jumped in, “Look, I haven’t thrown up since a week ago. I can eat more now. And I’ve gained five pounds.” Anne pooched her stomach out attempting to impress him with her weight.

“You’re still seven pounds below normal. You’re at thirteen weeks and you don’t even look pregnant.”

“He’s three inches long and weighs an ounce. I don’t need to look pregnant yet.”

“She needs her mother to be careful. What if the symptoms come back?”

Anne smiled. They had this argument all the time. She wanted to have a boy, and he wanted a girl. They had decided not to find out the sex before the birth, so the argument was going to last a long time. If she didn’t miscarry.

“We’ve got the nausea under control. If the oral meds quit working, I’ll go back on an IV. I promise. I’ll take good care of him.”

“You won’t try to hide the symptoms like you did at first?”

“I promise. And I’m second trimester now. We’ve got a lot better chance of making it.”

“She’s a fighter. I knew she’d make it.”

“He’s a fighter—just like his dad.”

Steven chuckled. “Temporary truce. I need to talk to you about something.”

Anne’s mouth went dry. His face was serious, and she could tell he was attempting to hide his worry. “What? What is it?”

“So, the DA had to drop the charges on Becca. They ran a search warrant based on the information I gave them, but they came up with nothing. I’m