His Kiss (3 page)

And I wasn’t up for it.

But Aiden had been my boyfriend for a long time. He knew how to push my buttons. “Come on, Ally—please? All the guys from the team will be there. I’m still trying to fit in with them, you know that.”

Ugh.

Guilt.

Working.

But I wasn’t ready to cave, not yet.

“Can’t you just go without me?” I sulked. “I don’t like drinking parties—
you
know that. And I hate Fiona. She’s going to flirt with you all night and I’m going to rip her hair out.”

Aiden laughed, snuggling up to me. “That would be fun—I’d like to see that.”

“Yeah, so would your team,” I snorted. “Look, just go alone.”

He squeezed my hand. “You know I won’t go without you.”

“Right. So lets just stay home and watch a movie—I’ll make you a lava cake.” (One thing you should know about me—I like to cook. A lot. I might become a chef, only probably not.)

“Look, Ally,” Aiden said all
be reasonable,
“I don’t like Fiona—not like you’re worried about. But I have to get in with the guys—they treat me like crap.”

I sighed. In the end, I gave in to him because he was my boyfriend and being part of the team was important to him. It was. I knew that. But so was Fiona—she was way more important to him than she should have been—whether he was willing to admit it or not. And he wouldn’t have been so insistent that we go if it had been one of “the guys” inviting him to a party. But then again, “the guys” would never invite him to a party.
So, blah.
I made Jazz come with us, though, so she and I could whisper about what a skank Fiona was—while she was hitting on my boyfriend.

But at the party, Fiona made the rounds, not seeming all that into Aiden, which was a relief. But then everyone started gathering in the basement—well not everyone, but a lot of people and Aiden dragged me over to the largest group. They were playing a game called “Three Minutes in Heaven.” It was kind of like spin the bottle, but there was a closet involved.

Aiden had said he just wanted to sit in the circle with the group since most of the hockey team was hanging out over there, but he swore we would only kiss each other if our turns ever came up (which it didn’t seem very likely our turns ever would since the group was so big). And he swore he wouldn’t kiss Fiona. He swore it.

He said, “Of course I won’t kiss her, Ally.” Then he grinned, flashing me his dimples and looking
all adorable
. “Not even if she begs.”

So, we went over to the group and I made Jazz come with us and our friend Destiny too who was somehow at the party though I didn’t think to invite her and so I was kind of shocked to see her because she was like me and didn’t go to drinking parties. But there she was, sipping at a drink and was all, “I wanted to have a little fun.”

So, I dragged her with us over to the enchanting game of “Three Minutes in Heaven.”

The rule was, a person would spin the bottle and
whoever
it pointed to would choose someone to go into the closet with for “Three Minutes in Heaven.”

When the bottle pointed at Aiden, it was kind of fun, because he chose me, of course, and we got to spend three minutes in the dark closet kissing which was sort of fun as we had never done that before—kissed in a pitch black closet with half our school outside the door.

But then, just a little later, I squeezed my eyes shut because the bottle pointed at Fiona. And she was slightly drunk.
And totally a bimbo.

“I want you,” she told Aiden.

All his team made “Ohhh,” noises and “Go for it!” chants and Aiden cut his gaze to me, like wanting my permission, like
please don’t make me look whipped in front of the guys, Ally
. But Fiona grabbed his face
all seductive
, and made him look up at her, into her smoky,
I want you
eyes. “It’s just a game Aiden,” she purred. “Your girlfriend can handle it.”

Then she dragged him into the closet—only it wasn’t exactly
dragged
. He didn’t put up as much of a fight as he should have. In fact really, he didn’t put up that much of a fight at all. I mean, he had a big, goofy grin on his face.

I was going to get up and leave, but Destiny put her hand on my knee and Jazz whispered in my ear, “If you leave, she’s going to get her way.”

And I didn’t want that—no matter what. So, though I could barely breathe, I stayed. And when they finally came out of the closet—Aiden all flushed and his hair disheveled—I tried to smile and talk with Jazz and Destiny as though I didn’t have a care in the world and I didn’t even know Aiden had been away.

I could feel his teammate’s eyes on me as Aiden took his seat beside me, but I went on telling my friends this hilarious story that happened at school today—though I was making the whole thing up and I could tell Jazz and Destiny knew it. Still, they sat staring at me with frozen smiles trying to play along and act like my story was fascinating and incredibly funny and everything was super terrific though my world had just fallen apart.

Aiden took my hand and kissed it and whispered in my ear, “Sorry, Ally. I didn’t know what to do.”

I snatched my hand away and went on talking with Jazz and Destiny and totally ignoring him.

He whispered, “Are you mad?”

Totally stiff, I shook my head, still talking with my friends.

The game went on, from one curious couple to the next.

We were in a big circle with around thirty people, so only half were really paying attention to the game—the other half just visited, only getting into the game if someone they liked had the bottle point to them.

“You seem mad,” Aiden whispered. “Ally, it’s not my fault. I didn’t choose her—she chose me.”

Just then the bottle pointed at Griffin. I wouldn’t have even noticed, but Destiny squeezed my knee in anticipation. She totally had a crush on Griffin. She had ever since he sang at our school’s talent show. His band totally rocked it. Half the girls at our school now melted whenever Griffin so much as looked at them.

Destiny sucked in her breath. But Griffin had been in the middle of a conversation with a gaggle of his friends and Hailey Cox—the girl that used to have her locker over mine in junior high. He didn’t seem to have a clue about the game—that we were even playing one.

“What?” he said to the group since all of us were staring at him, waiting for him to choose a girl to kiss. “I’m not playing,” he informed us off-handedly, but then he seemed to weigh the game in his head. “Wait—I’m supposed to choose someone to take into the closet?”

He grinned, flinching his jaw from side to side like he does when he’s thinking, apparently changing his mind. “Okay.”

Griffin looked our direction, and I swear, Destiny moaned. But what he said was: “I want Poser’s girl.”

His teammates laughed, and Aiden blanched.

I totally would have protested, totally said no.
Of course.
Only, I couldn’t help remembering Aiden’s goofy grin when Fiona led him to the closet.

Or his lame defense afterwards.

It made me jut up my chin and be
all defiant
and basically—yeah, okay—petty.

“It’s not my fault,” I hissed to Aiden and hopped to my feet.

My legs were all wobbly like rubber as I stumbled to the closet. I couldn’t believe I was doing this. Griffin couldn’t seem to believe it either. He had this quizzical smirk on his face as he watched me get up, but he smiled and followed me into the closet, his friends busting up.

They were chanting, “Look out Poser!” And Jake was all, “Griff is hot for School Girl!”

We got more noise than any other couple that went into the closet—and there had been a lot of noise for a lot of couples, namely Aiden and Fiona.

When the door was shut, Griffin and I were in the pitch black dark, and my heart was beating so hard I thought for sure it was going to slam out of my chest and ricochet off the wall. I couldn’t believe I was really here. What was I going to do? Was I really going to kiss The Griff—for real this time?

The thought filled me with a jumble of emotions—excitement, curiosity,
fear
. But at the same time, I worried about Aiden. I’d been mad at him, that’s what spurred me here. But was I mad enough to do this? Kiss The Griff?

It would hurt Aiden. Kill him.… Just like it killed me that he kissed Fiona.

My head was swimming, my thoughts sporadic and confused—but that was nothing compared to my heart. It was a twisting, thumping, scrambling mess.

Griffin whispered in my ear. “Are we really going to do this or are you just mad at Poser?”

His hot breath on my neck made me kind of woozy and lightheaded. But still I snapped, “His name is Aiden,” defending him because that’s what I did. Always. Defended Aiden. His teammates made me mad—livid. But then again, tonight Aiden had made me mad. And he broke my heart.

I let out a breath, losing any fight or nerve I had.

“No, we don’t have to do this.” Then I added, just trying to be diplomatic, since he was being
all sweet
, giving me the option and everything. “I mean, if you don’t want to.”

Griffin flicked a penlight on, lighting up his tempting, luscious lips—making me melt, though he had no idea that’s what he was doing.

He said softly, “I want to.”

“Oh,” I squeaked, suddenly a shivering wreck. The way he said that—it had me panting.

“Relax. I’m not going to hurt you.” His voice was gentle, seductive, with just a touch of amusement. He backed me against the wall, bringing his warm hands up to either side of my face, gentle, gentle, gentle. Then slowly, tenderly his hot mouth pressed against mine, soft and sweet and tentative. I felt tingles all the way down to my toes.

His kisses—they were so tender and warm and perfect. Things heated up quickly, though—went from toasty warm to sizzling. Griffin tangled his large, fervent hands in my hair, his lips becoming passion-filled as he drew me closer still, his seductive velvet tongue entwining, searching, tantalizing, his kisses growing with intensity until I was sure my heart was going to explode.

Heat rushed through my whole body. This moment, this experience—it was so intense and awe invoking. Strong, trouble-making Griffin turning tender and passionate—it had me weak in the knees. Before long, he had to hold me up to keep me from toppling to the floor because I was gone—my brain, my body, my heart—every part of me melted into a puddle from his heat.

“You okay?” Griffin pulled away slightly to study my face, his fingers lightly stroking my hair. Already I missed his hot mouth against mine, yearned to have it back.

I nodded, trying to catch my breath, embarrassed that I couldn’t stand steady without his help. “Yeah. You’re just a—a really good kisser.” A fire burned inside me. I was glad it was dark enough he couldn’t see how red I was. I hoped.

Griffin made a small laughing sound,
then
his soft, cupid-like lips were on mine again … totally giving me three minutes of heaven.

When the time was up the door was flung open, bright light poured into the closet. Griffin groaned, giving me one last kiss and then he pulled away—making me ache for him to come back, to hold me longer, hold me forever.

He leaned his forehead against mine even as his teammates cheered in the open doorway, whooping and chanting as though he’d made a goal on the ice. He murmured near my ear, “That went by way too fast.”

Man oh man, he wasn’t kidding. I could have done that all night. For weeks, months, years,
forever
.

I don’t think I said anything. I could hardly breathe, let alone speak. I was too woozy and entranced. I stumbled out of the closet, my legs like rubber,
my
heart pounding so hard I was sure it was going to pounce out of my chest.