In the middle of the week, Kai called Jessie and asked if she wanted to go exploring the city with him. Getting home right around the time she’d gotten off work, he’d met her at the clinic with a huge, adventurous smile on his face. Laughing at his enthusiasm, Jessie hopped on his bike behind him and proceeded to show Kai the numerous beauties her city had to offer.
They drove past Denver Museum of Nature and Science, a beautiful building that Jessie thought Kai would appreciate, even if it was closed. Clearly delighted, he was eager to go back when it was open. She showed him the Botanical Gardens, the Art Museum, and Coors Field. Grinning ear to ear, Kai made her promise to take him to a baseball game in the summer. With joy and laughter, they began making future plans to visit all the places they were driving past, and Jessie found herself starting to look forward to weekends again. At least she would still get a little of his time.
Since it was the last week it would be open for the season, they ended up spending the bulk of the night at Elitch Gardens Theme Park. They played the games and tried out all the different rides. They stayed right up until the place closed, even lingering on the grounds until someone finally escorted them out. They just hadn’t wanted the evening to stop.
Jessie woke up exhausted the next day, but she was exhilarated, too. They’d both had an amazing evening. But when she spotted April’s glum face at the breakfast table, checking for messages on her phone that weren’t there, she felt really guilty, too. Running around the city with Kai, holding hands and laughing, none of that was helping him have a relationship with April.
It made Jessie feel even worse when she considered the fact that their night had almost been a date. It hadn’t been, she’d only been showing her cousin around town, but thinking back to the long looks and Kai constantly brushing stray curls out of her face…well, that hadn’t been quite so cousinly. And as much as she had enjoyed their time together, that underlying sexual tension was always there. The hunger and passion they’d both struggled to ignore.
April did unknowingly diffuse it at times. She’d call right as their gazes lasted a little too long. She’d text him right as he was beginning to cup Jessie’s cheek, and late Friday night, when they’d been sitting on his bed side-by-side, watching an old black and white movie, April had inadvertently stopped them from caving into that tension.
Kai was staring at her, and she was staring at him, the movie in the background playing some melodramatic scene that Jessie wasn’t even listening to. She was only hearing her heart thumping in her chest, only feeling her breath passing over her lips. And Kai…she was very aware of him.
They were sitting with their hips touching. They hadn’t started out that way, but over the course of the movie they’d slowly inched together. They were leaning against his headboard, and somehow, Kai’s arm had snuck around behind Jessie and his thumb was rubbing a circle into her low back. Jessie’s knees were propped up, her hands tightly clutching them to her chest. Mainly out of fear. Because she knew if she relaxed her grip on her knees, her hands would drift to Kai’s face—that beautiful face staring down at her, watching her as intently as they’d been watching the movie…in the beginning.
Jessie sighed as her eyes flicked between his. She wanted nothing more than to feel his lips press against her…but not on the cheek this time. She wanted them enclosed over hers, tasting, teasing. She wanted it more than she’d ever wanted anything, even though it still made her ill to want it.
Kai sighed too, and by the expression on his face, it was clear he wanted it, too. Jessie knew that she had to get up, knew that it was time to leave him, before the feeling overwhelmed them both. She made a move to stand, but Kai made a move too, and it froze her in place. Kai’s move wasn’t to get up, but to lean toward her. Jessie’s lips parted as she felt him draw nearer. Her already fast heart quickened to a dangerous pace. Kai’s breath brushed over her face, light and fast. Then, achingly slow, he bent toward her.
Careful to not let any other part of their bodies move, just their faces touched. A small gasp escaped her as their noses, cheeks, and foreheads brushed against each other. It was more erotic than him flat-out kissing her, and a tingling desire shot through her, igniting her. Kai hissed in a quick breath and exhaled in a low groan; he was feeling the ache too. Digging her fingers into her jeans, to stop herself from grabbing him and shucking off his clothes, she let out a low moan as his cheek lightly ran across hers.