Page 56 of Stay With Me

“Well, no.”

“And you mentioned at one time wantin’ to learn, so…” He pats his thigh. “Saddle up, Sunny.” My heart races in anticipation of sittingonTripp for the first time.

I’m so used to him avoiding eye contact, so when our gazes meet, my breathing stalls. For what feels like the first time, he doesn’t glance away, and having his full attention gets me flustered.

“You remember me sayin’ that from five years ago?” I ask, stunned. “And wait…didn’t Landen sayyou don’t let chicks drive your truck?” I quote the exact words he’d said in my best deep, manly voice.

He barks out a laugh. “Yep, you’ll be my first.” Then he leans over and brushes his thumb along my jaw. “I remember everything about you, Magnolia. Especially the drunken moments.”

I groan at the embarrassing things he’s witnessed over the years. “You coulda just left it at that first sentence.”

He tilts my chin, and my breath hitches at his proximity. Technically, we’ve kissed before during my birthday BJ shot, but this is different. This is private. No drinking game, no pressure, no audience. Tripp wants this as much as I do. I’ve pictured this moment for years, and now that I’m here, my nerves are getting the best of me.

“I should warn you…I don’t kiss on the first date,” I blurt out before our lips touch.

The corners of his mouth lift as it brushes against mine and he whispers, “Then it’s a good thing this wasn’t a date.”

And just like that, I’m putty in his hands.

He closes the tiny gap between us and my entire life changes.

Tripp doesn’t just kiss me.

His tongue intimately dances with mine in tender strokes as he cups my face. Soft, eager lips mixed with his rough facial stubble hold me hostage to his intimate touch. One hand slides behind my neck and pulls me impossibly closer until his chest presses to mine. Then I fist the fabric of his shirt, holding him to me and never wanting to let him go because I think I’m still in shock that this is happening.

The rough edges of his calloused fingers mixed with the tenderness of his hold have every inch of my body burning hot. Shivers soar down my spine and butterflies pool in my stomach. His touch is nothing like I’ve felt before, and I’m eager to keep it as long as possible.

A deep, guttural moan releases from his throat as my heart thunders inside my chest because this man, one I never dreamed would reciprocate my feelings, is ruthlessly fucking my mouth with his tongue. And I never want him to stop.

“Sunny…” He pants out like his resolve is seconds away from snapping. “Fuck, you taste so good.”

“Then why’re you stoppin’?” I whimper when his lips feather down my jaw and neck, sending tingles down to my core.

“Because if I don’t,” he whispers in my ear, “I’ll keep you hostage in here all night long.”

“Then I’d be a willing hostage.”

He chuckles and brings his lips back to mine. “I think that’s a contradiction.”

I shrug, loosening my grip on him. “Then so be it.”

He pants against my mouth as he kisses me once more. “You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do that.”

“What was holdin’ you back?”

Instead of being guarded like I half expect him to, he rests his forehead on mine. “A lot of shit. Mostly anxious thoughts about not being good enough or how I don’t deserve to be happy that got into my head. But I’m tired of lettin’ those fears get in the way of puttin’ myself out there. I think you and I deserve a chance to see what this could be without that gettin’ in the way.”

My heart is beating out of control at his raw emotions. Tripp’s been reserved for so long that every word out of his mouth is taking me by surprise. But it fills me with warmth that he trusts me enough to be open and honest.

Pulling back, I cup his face until he meets my eyes. “I agree, and I hope you know you can always share those fears with me. You don’t have to go through shit alone if you don’t want to. I’m here for you to get through it, whether that be talking it out or just sitting with you and holding your hand until it passes. Anxiety gets to me too, just in a different way.”

Like how scared I am to lose him now that I finally have him.

How being together changes everything.

What will Noah really think when she finds out?

Landen knowing is one thing since he’s been in on the secret for a while, but Noah’s my childhood best friend and is protective of me in a different way than she’s protective of Tripp, but I’m still worried about how she’ll react. She knows my past and what her brother’s gone through, so our dating could cause tension in our friendship even if she’s always encouraged me to tell him. She wouldn’t want either of us to get hurt, and if there were a fallout, she’d be stuck in the middle.