Eversea A Love Story

my teeth before coming over?”
    I laughed. I couldn’t help it, it was such an unexpected question, delivered so teasingly it relieved my nervous tension. I was grateful.
    “No!” I shook my head with a smile.
    “Good.” He raised his eyebrows, expectantly. “Go on.”
    “Well, I haven’t ...” I twisted my fingers as I tried to decide how much to tell him. That I was inexperienced except for one awkward kiss, or that the feelings he made me feel were scaring the crap out of me, and I wasn’t ready for what that could do to me if we were to continue. Maybe I should just tell him I didn’t like him like that. Liar, liar, pants on fire . Anyway, I had just admitted I wanted him to kiss me, so that was a lame one.
    “Please don’t tell me you have never been kissed,” he said with a laugh. I looked at him, surprised at his tone. Would he ridicule me if I hadn’t? I was aware I was taking a little too long to answer.
    His light tone faded. “Oh my God, seriously?” His body pitched forward slightly off the wall.
    “What? No! I mean yes, I have been kissed, once, I mean it wasn’t really ... ” I took an awkward breath. “I mean, it was ok, not a kiss kiss ... ” Why was I babbling and why couldn’t I stop? “I mean, it was, but ... ”
    “What’s not a kiss kiss?”
    “It was a kiss that shouldn’t have happened.”
    “Like ours shouldn’t happen?” He eyed me speculatively, his hands interlacing behind his neck.
    It shouldn’t?
    “No, because we were two friends who shouldn’t have kissed, and I didn’t like him ... like that.” I swallowed. I sounded so young.
    “But you like me like that? Or is it just because of who I am?”
    “No! I don’t know,” I said, honestly. Oops . I looked down avoiding his eyes.
    “Well.” Out of the corner of my eye I saw him drop back against the wall, and his hands came up and grabbed two tufts of his unruly hair. “At least you’re honest.” He sounded flat.
    “Look, I don’t mean that. I just mean ... ” How did I explain this without making it seem like I had no self-esteem? He was so God dammed beautiful, and I was just me. I couldn’t, so why worry about it. I opened my mouth to say just that but he cut me off.
    “Who was it?”
    “Who was what?”
    “Your first and only kiss?”
    “Oh, um, Jasper McDaniel. He’s just—”
    “The Pastor’s son.”
    “How do you know that?” I looked at him, curiously.
    “I overheard the Pastor and your friend at the grill the other night.” He scowled. “Was he the one who was here on Sunday?”
    “Yes, and he’s just a friend. Which reminds me of the rest of my list. You aren’t available, so whether or not I want to kiss you is a moot point. We are just friends.”
    Jack snorted.
    “What?” I asked.
    “Nothing.” He shook his head. “So, stop me if I am being too personal but—”
    “You’re being too personal.” I smirked. Oh yes, thank God. Feisty Keri Ann was back.
    “So you had one kiss. I’m presuming you haven’t ever ... ” He caught my eyes and held them. My face flamed. “Made love?”
    Oh, God. Why did he say it like that? Like he was thinking it, imagining it, right as he was saying it.
    Liquid heat pooled low in my belly.
    “Didn’t I say you were being too personal?” I croaked.
    “Yeah, but you didn’t stop me. I said, ‘Stop me.’” He looked altogether too smug and something else I couldn’t quite put my finger on.
    I had to gain the upper hand here, even though my heart was pounding in my throat. “So what did you mean when you said there was an obvious and smart reason to stop you?”
    “How did I know you weren’t going to let that go?”
    I shrugged.
    “Well,” he went on, “why don’t you finish your list first.”
    “You have a girlfriend—”
    “Had.”
    Okaaaay. Had . That was interesting. “Until you forgive her and get back together?”
    He nodded.
    I just stared at him.
    “Did you just nod?” I asked, incredulously. The guy had almost kissed me and was now admitting he was planning on getting back together with his ex. My stomach rolled. Poor dumb southern hick girl falls for self-proclaimed asshole, willingly. It wasn’t like I didn’t already have an inkling he could be that shallow, I mean the guy was an actor. He pretended to feel things for a living. God, I was so out of my depth.
    “Yeah, but that’s because it’s in my contract. We have to stay together. I don’t expect you to understand that.”
    If it was