Unconditionally

Chapter Nineteen

“Kiss her. Slowly, take your time, there’s no place you’d rather be. Kiss her but not like you’re waiting for something else, like your hands beneath her shirt or her skirt or tangled up in her bra straps. Nothing like that. Kiss her like you’ve forgotten any other mouth that your mouth has ever touched. Kiss her with a curious childish delight. Laugh into her mouth, inhale her sighs. Kiss her until she moans. Kiss her with her face in your hands. Or your hands in her hair. Or pulling her closer at the waist. Kiss her like you want to take her dancing. Like you want to spin her into an open arena and watch her look at you like you’re the brightest thing she’s ever seen. Kiss her like she’s the brightest thing you’ve ever seen. Take your time. Kiss her like the first and only piece of chocolate you’re ever going to taste. Kiss her until she forgets how to count. Kiss her stupid. Kiss her silent. Come away, ask her what 2+2 is and listen to her say your name in answer.” –Azra. T

Ashton leans back with his eyes widen. My eyebrows furrow in confusion and the flapping of the butterflies in my stomach is not helping me form a complete sentence.

“What?” I ask, but I’m stopped, again.

Ashton mumbles something under his breath before grabbing my neck and connecting our lips. This isn’t a peck on the lips like what happens two seconds ago. No, this is a kiss. This is a kiss that makes me want to curl my toes and moan like a sexually starved woman. I grab Ashton’s smooth cheeks, bringing him as close to me as possible. The damn chair is in the way.

This isn’t my first kiss. When I was seven, a boy with copper colored hair and too many freckles across his face got dared to kiss me. He just walked over to me as I was playing with my mud pie before kissing me on the lips. He ran back to friends as they laughed and joked on him. There weren’t any butterflies.

My hands cautiously go down Ashton’s sides. Am I doing this right? My hands move to his hair. And good God, have I wanted to run my hands through his hair. I glide my hands through his brown hair, and tighten my hold when I get to the base of his hairline.

Ashton leans even further into me, making my lower back hit against the arm chair.  I gasp loudly when he lowers his lips down to my neck. I thought I would be able to breathe better when we stopped kissing, but it keeps on getting harder and harder to breathe. Ashton gives me butterfly kisses going my neck before kissing back up again. Right when I sigh gently, Ashton smiles across my neck before biting. I jump in surprise and my eyes snap open. Ashton begins laughing.

He rests his forehead against my own while smiling wide. I smile back in a sudden giddiness.

“Would you believe me if I said I’ve always wanted to do that with you?” He asks me.

I laugh out loud and wrap my arms around his neck.

“No.” I say simply.

Ashton chuckles, kisses my nose then my lips. Wanting more, I lean forward but a clearing of a throat makes me jump in surprise. I look to the side of Ashton’s body to see Cassandra standing a few feet away from us with an eyebrow raised and lips pursed. My cheeks flame in embarrassment.

“Shit.” Ashton mumbles.

He turns to face me again and gives me a look of guilt. Quickly, I remove my arms from around his neck and give us some space.

“I really don’t prefer my eighteen year old son making out on my porch. It’s time for Mackenzie to go home, Ashton.” Says Cass.

Ashton rubs the back of his neck while I look down, fascinated by the wood the Lotest porch is made out of.

“Okay, Mom, I’ll just walk Kenzie to her car.”

I look up to see Cass’s reaction. Cassandra rolls her eyes and snorts, shaking her head and going back inside. When the front door closes, Ashton stands up, offering me a hand to help me up. I stand up and we walk to my car.