Page 57 of Beauty and the Beach
The gaggle of girls go crowd around the entertainmentcenter, but I don’t bother; I know Trev’s not talking to me. I just look at the TV as the screen changes and opening credits start rolling, watching vaguely as I try to place what movie they’ve chosen.
But I jump when I feel a hand on my shoulder, and I jump further when I hear Phoenix’s voice whisper in my ear from behind me.
“Meet me in the coat closet next to the stairs upstairs,” he says, and I shiver at the feeling of his breath on my neck.
Forget speeding up; my heart just stops altogether as he slips past me and heads toward the wet bar with two cans of soda in his hands, not looking back at me.
Meet him in the coat closet?
My mind reels, but my body automatically obeys, and I begin climbing the stairs. Why does he want to meet me in the coat closet? Does he want to talk to me?
Or—what if?—
No. No way.
I reach the top of the stairs and slip quietly into the coat closet, closing the door behind me. I leave the light off, because I can’t even begin to fathom what my face looks like right now. Flushed, definitely. But also bewildered and confused and stupidly hopeful.
No; the light will stay off.
I wait for only thirty seconds before the door opens. A sliver of light shines into the closet, and then it’s blocked as Phoenix slips quietly in. I can faintly smell his cologne, and it’s heavenly.
When he’s closed the door and the closet is black again, he whispers, “You here?”
I swallow. “Yes,” I whisper back.
I hear him hum, a deep, vibrating sound. “Good.”
I fold my arms across my chest. “What do you want?” I whisper, sounding much more confident than I feel.
“Mmm. Isn’t that obvious?” he says with dry amusement. “I’ve been thinking about kissing you.”
My brain screeches to a halt. “I—what?” I forget to whisper, and I can hear my incredulity.
“You sound…strange,” Phoenix says immediately, and I can tell by his voice that he’s frowning. There’s silence for a second—while my mind implodes—and then he goes on, sounding less certain. “Did I misread this?” He clears his throat. “My apologies.”
Brain. Not. Working.
“Right,” he says, sounding unsure of himself. It’s a voice I’ve rarely heard. “I’ll leave.”
And that does it. My mind springs back into action, because Phoenix wants to kiss me, and he’s about to walk out of this closet.
My hand darts out, reaching blindly for him. When I make contact with his chest, I grab a fistful of his shirt and tug him closer. I hear his breath catch.
Am I doing this? I am. I’m doing this. I’ve been intrigued by this man for months.
“How long have you felt like this?” I whisper, because I need to know. I don’t want him to think I’m pathetic, to think I’ve been pining for him, but what if he’s been just as interested in me as I’ve been in him?
“How long have I wanted to kiss you?” he says, and from his businesslike tone, I can tell his confidence is back. I feel his hands suddenly, like the darkness itself reaching for me, and his fingers trail lightly from my arms to my shoulders to my face. One of his thumbs traces my lips, his touch softer and gentler than I ever would have imagined. My legs are approximately as steady as jelly.
“Yeah,” I say, trying to breathe. But riots of butterflies are fluttering inside, and electricity is coursing through me from his touch.
“Long enough,” he says, his voice low. “Since shortly after we met and you?—”
“Stop talking,” I whisper, cutting him off. “Stop talking and kiss me.” My words are breathy and impatient, but I’ve heard what I wanted to know, and I’m done waiting.
He doesn’t care. He exhales roughly, and the next thing I know, his lips collide with mine.
And I’ve died and gone to heaven. I’ve kissed guys before, but none of them have ever kissed me like this. Phoenix’s lips are firm, unyielding, and perfectly in sync with mine. His hands move from my face, and I feel his arms wrap around me, pulling me flush with him. I slide my hands up his chest and around his neck, holding onto him desperately, running my fingers through his hair. It’s so much softer than I ever thought it would be.
