It Started With a Kiss Read online

  He made this gruff sound in the back of his throat and stroked his tongue along the seam of my lips, and I opened for him, running on instinct, needing this like I needed to breathe.

  He slipped his other hand around my waist, digging his fingers into my body, pulling me in closer. And when I felt his tongue add pressure to my mouth, I opened for him instantly.

  I’d never been kissed like this, never felt this kind of desire. And I swore that as we kissed for long minutes, the world faded away, that it was just him and me.

  The feeling of his tongue moving along mine had a soft moan leaving me. I couldn’t have stopped it even if I wanted to. He broke the kiss, his fingers lightly skimming my skin as he moved his hand away from my face. But I swore I felt those tingles along every erogenous zone in my body.

  The way I was breathing should have embarrassed me. It was like I’d just run a marathon... or had sex.

  “I’m Ari,” I said, my voice breathy, my eyes closed, and my heart racing. I could taste him on my tongue, this bittersweet hop flavor that had me thirsty for more.

  “Look at me.” His voice was low, so low only I could hear. But there was command laced in it, one I couldn’t not obey.

  And when I opened my eyes and stared into his, I got lost in the blue depths. We stared at each other for long moments, and as much as I wanted another kiss, I found myself taking a step back. I was overwhelmed, consumed with need, passion... confusion.

  “I’m sorry,” I whispered, lifting my hand and touching my fingers to my lips, feeling his mouth still on me.

  “I’m not,” he replied, but there was no smugness in his tone. He looked serious. He looked as consumed as I felt. “I’m Grey.”

  God, his voice was deep, so masculine that I involuntarily curled my fingers into my palm, my nails pricking my skin. Even his name was all man.

  I licked my lips, tasting him, wanting another kiss and almost ready to take that step forward once more.

  “On to the next joint,” I heard Franny say, far closer than she’d been just moments ago.

  I looked to the side and saw all three girls standing there staring at us with open mouths and wide eyes. They were either shocked I’d gone through with it and actually done the kiss, or they’d been able to feel the chemistry and passion as much as I had.

  “Yeah, the night’s not getting any younger,” Kai said, and I didn’t miss how she glanced at Grey.

  I looked over at him and saw he his attention was still trained right on me. His expression was focused... possessive. There was no other word I could use for the way he made me feel as he looked at me.

  “I…” I didn’t want to go. I wanted to learn more about him. I wanted to feel him again, next to me, kissing me, his hands on my body. I wanted it all. But common sense and rationalization rose up. I didn’t know him. This was a dare kiss, and he was probably staring at me like that because he thought I’d jump right in bed with him now.

  And the truth was, I probably would have.

  Before I could say anything else, one of the girls had hold of my hand and was all but pulling me out of the bar. And the entire time I couldn’t help but watch him as I left, everything in me screaming to go back.

  * * *

  Grey

  I stood there and watched her leave despite every single part of my body wanting to go to her. I could still feel my mouth on hers, could feel my hand on her waist, the desire to pull her in close riding me hard. But I’d kept myself in check. If I’d pressed my body to hers—like I’d wanted to—she’d no doubt feel the hard ridge of my cock pressing against my jeans.

  And I sure as hell didn’t want her thinking I was some horned-up asshole just wanting to fuck her.

  I let her walk away, because I was in this haze as we stared into each other’s eyes, her friends pulling her out the front doors, probably shocked as hell at the scene they’d just witnessed.

  Hell, I’d been unable to control myself. I should’ve just accepted her excuse and let her friends think I didn’t want the kiss. It would have been a fucking lie, but it probably would have made things less complicated.

  When she was out the door and the spell she had over me was broken, I reached out and placed a hand on the table, steadying myself.

  Ari.

  Her name played through my head over and over again.

  “Ari.” It rolled off my tongue, sounding fucking perfect.

  I knew one thing for certain—there was no way I was going to let Ari walk out of my life.

  No fucking way. That kiss was only the first step in me claiming her.

  Chapter Four

  Ari

  One week later

  I should’ve been working, not staring at my computer screen, the library catalogue spread out on the Excel sheet, the whole thing looking foreign because my mind was currently on one thing.

  One person.

  Grey.

  It had been a week since I’d been at the bar, since he’d kissed me. Yet I still felt like I was right in front of him.

  I lifted my fingers and touched my lips, even now still feeling him there, tasting him on my mouth.

  When my friends had dragged me out of the bar, everything in me wanted to dig my heels into the ground and stay. And the rational part of my brain told me that wasn’t logical. We didn’t know each other, it had been a dare kiss, and he’d probably just done it to help me save face in front of my friends.

  That, and what guy turned down a random kiss?

  Maybe he’d just been one of those drunken guys at the bar who’d take anything and everything a woman would give? It was totally possible.

  But even thinking that, I knew it wasn’t the case. I knew nothing about Grey aside from his first name, but I felt something more. That sensation when I’d first seen him had been so profound, so intense that even now I still felt it. It poured through my veins, through my bloodstream, growing stronger each day.

  I’d never felt like this before, never experienced anything so... consuming.

  Someone came up to the counter and asked for a book, and I was forced to push anything Grey related out of my head. But that was easier said than done. Realistically, I knew the chances of seeing him again were pretty slim. And that sucked.

  I didn’t know his last name, didn’t know anything about him. But if I did, I knew I would have probably stalked his fine ass.

  For all I knew, he could’ve been passing through, not even a resident of town. And although our city wasn’t exactly small and there were plenty of people I didn’t know, I’d never met before, surely I would’ve seen him around?

  Certainly a man like him who gave me butterflies in my stomach from just a look, who had my pulse racing, who had me wanting more in life, fate would’ve thrown in my direction from the beginning, right?

  Or maybe it was all in my head and my infatuation for him was just strong.

  What I did know, what I was sure about, was I had to get Grey out of my head. I had to go on with my life and forget what we’d shared.

  It was just a kiss, after all.

  * * *

  Grey

  “You realize this is like, illegal and shit, right?” Camden glanced over at me. He sat behind his computer desk, the curious and skeptical expression on his face not fazing me. “Not to mention, it’s creepy and stalkerish.”

  I narrowed my eyes at him. “Just do it. I’m desperate, dude.”

  He shrugged and faced his computer again, his fingers flying over the keyboard. “I mean, she must have really gotten into your head for you to go to these lengths.”

  Yeah, that was an understatement.

  “And you only know her first name?”

  “Yeah,” I said, having been thinking that name over and over again for the last week. I lifted a hand and ran it over my jaw, smoothing my palm over my beard.

  The sound of Camden’s fingers still typing at the keys filled the small apartment.

  I’d known Camden for the last fifteen years. We’d gone to college together, hated one another at first because we were so damn alike, but we’d grown on each other.

  Where I got my business degree, he’d gone and became some damn computer genius. Now he owned his own security company, had all kinds of access to shit. Not to mention, he was like one of those next-level hacker brainiacs if it came down to it.

  So here I was, asking him to do definitely illegal shit, because I was that consumed with Ari.

  “What was her name again? Andi?”

  “Ari,” I said and nearly groaned just from saying her fucking name.

  “Ari, that’s right,” he replied almost absentmindedly. He went back to typing. “This could take a while, man. Ari is kind of an unusual name, but shit, it’s not like she’s the only one out there. You know what I mean?” He glanced over at me, his short dark hair perfectly styled.

  He had a surfer boy vibe going on. Olive skin with blue eyes. Short hair that was perpetually mussed as if he’d just come from the fucking beach or some shit.

  But behind all of that, Camden was the smartest fucker I knew. Like scary smart. And that’s why I’d come to him when I’d exhausted my own efforts.

  I stared at him for the next five minutes, watching him work, seeing the concentration on his face. But impatience grew in me. “Camden, man, how much longer?”

  He looked at me, one eyebrow raised. “Seriously? When I said it was gonna take me a while, that’s what I meant. I can’t find information like this on someone, with only a first name to go off of, in a couple minutes.”

  Fuck.

  “I’m talking about doing some deep digging, going through files, social media, searching back alley programs. I need a couple days at least.” I gritted my teeth at that. “Besides, I have to be careful, Grey. What I’m doing could get me thrown in jail. I gotta make sure I cover my tracks, you know?”

  I exhaled in frustration but nodded in surrender. “Yeah.”

  It had been seven days too long since I’d seen Ari, and I was growing desperate to find her.

  Camden leaned back in his chair, the leather creaking softly. “Why don’t you work out or something? Go running or lift weights, get rid of some of that nervous energy you clearly have going on right now.”

  I ran my hand over the back of my head.

  “Besides, it’ll suck up some time and maybe get your mind off this shit.”

  Yeah, that wasn’t going to happen.

  “I’ll call you as soon as I have anything on her.”

  I didn’t want to leave until I had what I’d come here for, but Camden had a point. He had to do his thing, and I couldn’t rush him. He was doing me a massive solid as it was.

  I stood, knowing I’d be harassing his ass because I wanted this information.

  “Grey?”

  I was heading toward his front door but then stopped and turned to face him. “Yeah?”

  He looked at his computer screen for a second before glancing back at me. “Did she screw you over or something? Is this some kind of revenge thing?”

  I was close to Camden, considered him family. But I found myself fiercely protective of information regarding Ari—the information about how I felt for her. Still, he was doing me a massive favor, not even really asking any questions, and I knew I had to be honest with him. I owed it to him for putting his neck on the line for me.

  He deserved so much more than me pounding on his door all but demanding information on a woman because I’d come up empty-handed in my search over the last week.

  I exhaled and shoved my hands in the front pockets of my jeans. “I met her last week. I kissed her. And since then, I haven’t been able to get her out of my mind.” I shook my head slowly.

  “Man, you obsessed with her or something?”

  “Or something,” I murmured. “I’ve never felt like this before about anyone. Just thinking about her, Camden, just picturing her out there with other men looking at her, talking to her, hell, even thinking about her…” I shook my head again as anger started to rise. “It pisses me off, because I want to be the only man who gets to do any of that.”

  Camden was quiet for a few seconds after I spoke, but then he whistled low. “Damn, Grey.”

  Yeah, that summed it up.

  “This is all over some kiss?”

  I guess in the grand scheme of things maybe it was, but it was also about that first look, the first scent of her perfume, or that first touch of my fingers on her cheek.

  “It started as that, but it’s so much more, Camden. I need to find her, need to see if she feels the same way I do. Until I find that out—”

  “And what if she’s not feeling it like you do? You gonna walk away?”

  I didn’t even need to think about it.

  I slowly shook my head. “No, I can’t walk away.”

  This was my obsession.

  She was my obsession.

  Chapter Five

  Ari

  “I pray like hell I’m not bloated and on my period on my wedding day,” Franny said as she looked at herself in the full-length mirror at the bridal dress shop.

  All of us had come along for final alterations, and as I sat and waited for the sales associate to bring me my bridesmaid dress, staring at Franny and her gorgeous white gown, once again I was left thinking about Grey. I’d gotten to the point where it was almost laughable, and a little bit ridiculous that I was so fixated on him.

  I shifted on the plush leather chair and looked over at Kai and Bernadette, who were looking at tiaras and jewelry. I hadn’t spoken to the girls about any of this, and aside from when they pulled me out of the bar, they hadn’t mentioned one word about Grey.

  Then again, they probably didn’t care. They had been drunk and had only seen this random, kind of awkward exchange between two strangers. So why would they ask me about it?

  But a part of me wanted to talk to them about it, to see if they thought I was being crazy or if I should explore this, find out more about him. But how exactly would I do that? Go to the bar and start asking around? Like anyone there would know. Like anyone there had probably even been sober enough that night to know who the hell I was talking about.

  Franny cleared her throat and turned around so she could face me, the podium she was on slightly elevated so that her gown hung freely without dragging on the floor. It was a strapless cut with crystal detailing around the bodice and along the bottom hem.

  I got lost in that dress, following each little crystal, trying to keep my mind off what I really wanted to have it occupy.

  Grey.

  “I meant to ask you,“ Franny said as she looked down at her dress, smoothing her hands over it. “I mean, it’s all a little fuzzy, but I’ve been thinking about that guy you kissed at the bar.”

  I straightened in my chair and looked at her before glancing at the other girls.

  “You’ve been thinking about him?” I prompted almost absentmindedly.

  She looked up at me and nodded, her brows furrowed before she grinned. “Yeah, and I have no idea why.” She shrugged, the smile still in place. “Maybe because he was so good looking, or maybe…” She stared me right in the eyes. “Maybe it was the fact that the kiss you guys shared seemed pretty intense. And like, the hottest thing I ever freaking saw.” She was momentarily distracted as a sales associate came by with some pins and started folding up the material so it was snugger around her body.

  I couldn’t think, couldn’t even calm my breathing for that matter.

  “Or maybe I saw more into it than there actually was, given the fact that you look like I’ve lost my damn mind.”

  My hands started to get clammy, and my pulse raced. Could I even be honest with her? Could I really tell her that I’d been thinking about Grey seemingly every minute of every day since our encounter last week?

  They’d think I was insane, obsessive even.

  “Hey, are you okay?” Franny asked, looking concerned.

  This was my best friend. All three of them were.

  And as I looked at Kai and Bernadette, who now turned their attention to us, clearly hearing the conversation, I reminded myself these three were like family. They’d been with me through thick and thin and would never judge me.

  So I took a deep breath and just said what I’d wanted to from the moment I left that bar. “Honestly?” Kai and Bernadette were already beside me, and Franny stepped down from the podium. And as I looked between the three of them, I felt a sense of relief at the fact that I’d finally be honest about it, that I’d finally get these words out to somebody other than myself. “The truth is, I’ve been thinking about him since you guys pulled me out of the bar.” My lips tingled at the thought of that kiss, as I thought about how much more I wanted from him.

  Everyone stayed silent, and the only thing I could hear was the rushing of the blood through my veins and the low sound of the jazz playing overheard through the speakers.

  “And it was intense.” I swallowed, my mouth dry, my throat tight. “It was the most intense kiss I think I’ll ever experience in my life. And it wasn’t the alcohol or the situation. It wasn’t even the kind of forbidden aspect of kissing a stranger.” I thought about that night once more. “It was this connection I felt with him, the way it felt to have his fingers on my skin, this electricity moving through me as he touched me almost innocently, like he thought I’d break.” God, I was going on about it like some schoolgirl, like I was in some kind of romance novel.

  This kind of stuff didn’t happen in real life. At least, it had never happened to me.

  After I was finished speaking, I realized the girls had said nothing in response. All three were staring at me, their eyes slightly wide, their mouths a little bit parted.

  “Oh shit,” Kai said.

  “Wow,” Bernadette whispered after that.