Page 81 of Kiss and Tell

“You really want to start this war?” he said.

I smirked, flicked paint at his face, then darted away with a laugh. Connor growled and chased after me.

“I’m going to get you for that,” he called out.

I was almost to the other side of the room when he grabbed me from behind and swung me around. I shrieked as my feet left the floor and I was sent spinning around in circles, the world turning into a blur.

“Stop, stop!” I slapped at his arms. “I’m getting sick.”

Connor put me down but didn’t remove his hands from my waist. He tugged me back against his chest and pressed a kiss to my neck. I shivered, the nausea in my stomach receding. He sucked hard on my skin, then nipped lightly with his teeth. I let out a quiet moan. His hands wandered from my waist, down my hips, to caress between my thighs. I let my head fall back against his shoulder.

“I thought this was a war?” I said breathlessly.

He rubbed me through my jeans.

“Truce?” he murmured into my ear.

“Truce,” I sighed, melting into his arms.

He grabbed the paintbrush from my loose grip and smacked the bristles against my cheek. I squawked as the paint hit my face in a cold, wet glob.

Connor let out an evil chuckle and sprinted across the room before I could retaliate.

“You’re awful!” I cried. “Using sex against me?”

“All’s fair in love and war!” he called out.

I inhaled sharply. He’d used the L word. Of course, he’d used it in the context of a proverb, so he probably hadn’t meant it the way I thought he had.

The way I hoped he had.

My mind screeched like a broken record player.

Was that what I was hoping?

Was I hoping to hear Connor tell me he loved me?

The air nearly left my lungs at the revelation. I stopped chasing him, coming to a halt in the middle of the room.

A better question to ask was, did I love him?

I liked Connor. He made me happy. I wanted to be with him, even though it was risky. I was willing to take that leap of faith for him.

But did that mean I felt something deeper? Did that mean I was in love with him?

“Hey.”

A warm hand cupped my face, making me tip my head up. Connor’s eyes glittered with good humor, but with a note of concern.

“You okay?” he asked. “I’m sorry, I thought we were just having fun.”

“We were,” I said. “We are. I just…”

…had the revelation of a lifetime.

Connor’s dark gaze penetrated mine, as if he were trying to unlock the secrets of my mind. As if I were a puzzle to be solved.

I didn’t mind the feeling. I liked that he wanted to dig deeper, that he was curious about what made me tick.