“Huh?” Tate asked.
“Amazingly awesome game. Watch,” she said as she brought her phone out to where both of them could see the screen. She tapped on an app and scooted closer to him, playing the game. Basically, she was a guy running from monkeys or something. It seemed easy, but when she handed it to him so he could try, those damn monkeys got him every time!
“What the hell!” he yelled in frustration as he restarted the game.
“Told you it’s hard, but isn’t it awesome?” Audrey gushed beside him.
He laughed. “Yes, even if it is pissing me off.”
Audrey’s laughter shook her body, and also vibrated his. It distracted him. His eyes moving from the game to her breasts caused him to lose. Again. Ignoring the desire to throw the phone across the room for the plum satisfaction of watching it break into billions of pieces, he hit Restart again with only a small curse. He was bound and determined to advance a level, so they sat laughing and cussing until, after an hour, he finally passed the first level.
When he threw his arms in the air in victory, Audrey let out a shriek, bouncing beside him.
“Thank God! I was about to break your phone!”
Tate laughed, and Audrey laughed along with him, taking the phone back. “You’ll need to get your own Temple Run since you have phone-breaking tendencies.”
“Hey, I break things, and you burn them, what a pair we are, huh?”
Audrey smiled as she glanced at him, holding his gaze with hers. Tate stopped laughing mostly because he couldn’t breathe. Her eyes were so bright and happy, her face glowing as her smile grew. She blinked twice before running her tongue along her bottom lip. He watched her do it again, and couldn’t take no as an answer anymore. All his patience and control went out the window as he leaned toward her, testing the waters and space between them. When she didn’t move away, he placed his mouth on hers.
Audrey let out a little meep, but that didn’t stop him. He moved his hands up into her hair, pulling her closer as her hands wrapped around his wrist. He had forgotten how much he liked to kiss her. He knew he had kept her mouth busy during their time together, and this time was no different. He craved her lips, the taste of her mouth, and the feel of her body heat running waves over him. He never wanted to stop, but when he went to deepen the kiss, she pulled back.
“Tate,” she whispered against his lips.
He shook his head, reconnecting their lips with desperate need, but she pulled again.
“Tate, please stop,” she whispered again. His body was on fire. The last thing he wanted to do was stop, but he wouldn’t force her into anything. He pulled back, letting her go as he tried to catch his breath. She was breathing just as hard as she ran her hands down her face. When she glanced over at him, his heart stopped. Her face was flushed, her lips swollen a deep shade of red, and man, she was beyond sexy. Forcing himself to turn away, he took a deep breath.
“I’m not going to apologize, Audrey. I want you. It’s not a secret,” he said quietly.
“We are friends, Tate,” she said. “Remember? It doesn’t matter how much I want you or you want me, we can’t do this. It isn’t right.”
His face scrunched up; he didn’t understand. “Why? It feels right to me.”
“Because I’m not the girl for you, believe me. We have a great time together, we do, and yes, I am very much attracted to you, Tate. Just take my word on this—I’m not the girl for you.”
Tate shook his head. “I don’t agree with you.”
Audrey’s shoulders slumped and she brought her legs back up to her chest. “I can only be friends with you, Tate. I’m sorry. I care about you too much to be anything more.”