No Bluff

You called her bluff.

She just made you work for the answer.

For a second, that satisfaction almost distracts you from the fact that you’re actually kissing Kelly.

Almost.

Her lips stay against yours as her arms tighten around your shoulders. What started as the two of you meeting halfway quickly becomes her kiss. She tilts her head and pulls you closer, kissing you again before you’ve even completely registered the first one.

There’s no teasing smile now. No smart-ass comment waiting for you when you look at her. Just the warmth of her mouth against yours and the unmistakable realization that neither of you is playing anymore.

You kiss her back, your hands settling naturally around her waist.

Kelly makes a quiet sound against your lips and presses herself closer.

The reaction gives you a sudden burst of confidence. Your fingers tighten slightly against her sides, and she answers by leaning more of her weight into you, keeping you against the counter.

When the kiss finally breaks, it’s only by an inch.

Neither of you says anything.

Kelly looks at your mouth.

You look at hers.

Then she kisses you again.

This one is slower.

She catches your lower lip lightly between hers before releasing it and kissing you again, changing the angle each time as the awkwardness of a first kiss disappears almost immediately. You start matching her rhythm, and the second you do, her hands slide from your shoulders to the back of your neck.

Apparently, she approves.

Your lips part naturally on the next kiss, and the contact deepens. Her tongue briefly brushes yours, tentative for only a moment before she realizes you’re following her lead. The kiss becomes warmer and more confident, her lips moving against yours while she keeps you close.

You lose track of how many times you actually kiss.

It stops being one kiss and becomes a series of them, each one breaking just long enough for another to begin.

When you finally separate enough to breathe, Kelly keeps her forehead against yours.

“Well,” Kelly says quietly.

You laugh under your breath.

“That’s all you’ve got?” you ask.

“I’m thinking,” Kelly replies.

“That’s dangerous,” you say.

Kelly smiles.

“Shut up,” Kelly says.

She kisses you again before you can answer.

You laugh into the kiss, and you can feel her smiling too. Somehow that makes the whole thing feel even more real. Ten minutes ago, both of you were pretending nothing was happening. Now Kelly is standing between your legs with her arms around your neck, repeatedly kissing you like she’s making up for all the time she spent refusing to admit she wanted to.

When she finally pulls back, you catch her looking at you. There’s no uncertainty in her expression, but after everything it took to get her to finally admit what she wanted, part of you still needs to hear it.

“What?” Kelly asks.

“You reconsidering?” you ask.

Kelly stares at you for half a second.

“Seriously?” Kelly asks.

Before you can answer, she reaches down and takes one of your hands from her waist. She keeps her eyes on yours as she guides it upward and places your palm firmly against her chest over the thin fabric of her tank top.

Your answer dies somewhere between your brain and your mouth.

Kelly watches your expression change and smiles.

“Does it feel like I’m reconsidering?” Kelly asks.

“No,” you reply.

“Good,” Kelly says.

Her hand remains over yours for a moment, keeping it exactly where she put it. Then she slowly lets go.

You leave your hand there.

Her smile deepens.

“Thought so,” Kelly says.

“You put it there,” you reply.

“And?” Kelly asks.

You look down briefly, then back into her eyes.

“And I’m not moving it,” you reply.

“I was hoping you’d say that,” Kelly says.

There’s no hesitation left between you now. Your other hand remains at her waist while she closes the space again, pressing herself into you as she slides both arms around your shoulders.

“Better?” Kelly asks.

“Much,” you reply.

“Good answer,” Kelly says.

Then she kisses you again.

There’s nothing tentative about this one. She tilts her head and catches your lips with hers, pulling you into the kiss as your hand stays where she placed it. You kiss her back immediately, and her fingers slide into the hair at the back of your head.

The kiss deepens naturally. Her lips part against yours, and her tongue brushes yours again before retreating just enough to make you follow. You do, catching her mouth again, and she answers by pulling you closer.

Every time one of you breaks away for a breath, the other closes the distance again. Her lips brush yours once, twice, before another deeper kiss follows. There’s a rhythm to it now that wasn’t there at first. The nervous anticipation has burned away, leaving both of you much more comfortable with exactly what you’re doing.

Eventually, Kelly pulls back far enough that you can actually look at each other.

Her arms remain around your shoulders. Your hands stay on her. Neither of you makes any attempt to create distance.

“So,” you say.

“So,” Kelly replies.

You look at her for another second.

“What happens now?” you ask.

This time, Kelly doesn’t dodge the question.

“I want more,” Kelly says.

The directness catches you slightly off guard after how hard she made you work for every admission before this one.

“More?” you ask.

“Yeah,” Kelly replies.

She looks at your mouth, then back into your eyes.

“I wanted to kiss you,” Kelly says. “Now I have.”

Her fingers lightly trace the back of your neck.

“And I don’t really feel like stopping,” Kelly continues.

You smile.

“That was a lot easier than getting the first admission out of you,” you say.

“Don’t ruin it,” Kelly replies.

“Sorry,” you say.

“No, you’re not,” Kelly says.

“Not really,” you admit.

Kelly smiles, but she doesn’t let the conversation wander again.

“I’m serious, John,” Kelly says.

That gets your attention.

Her eyes stay on yours.

“I want to keep going,” Kelly says. “Do you?”

There’s no game hidden inside the question this time. No challenge to decipher and no joke waiting behind it. She’s simply asking.

“Yeah,” you reply. “I do.”

Kelly studies your face for another second, apparently satisfied with what she sees.

“Good,” Kelly says.

She kisses you once more, slower this time. Her lips linger against yours before she pulls away, and when she does, her hand slides down your arm until she finds yours.

She laces her fingers through your fingers.

“Come with me,” Kelly says.

You glance toward the doorway leading out of the kitchen.

“Where are we going?” you ask.

“Living room,” Kelly replies.

“Why?” you ask.

Kelly gives you a look.

“You really need me to explain why I’d rather make out with you on a couch than against the kitchen counter?” Kelly asks.

You laugh.

“Fair point,” you reply.

“Thought so,” Kelly says.

She gives your hand a small tug and starts toward the doorway.

You follow.

At the threshold, Kelly glances back over her shoulder at you. Her eyes move over you before returning to your face, and the smile that appears is the same one that started this whole thing in the kitchen.

Only now neither of you has to pretend you don’t know what it means.

“Still want more?” Kelly asks.

“Yeah,” you reply.

“Good,” Kelly says.

She squeezes your hand and leads you through the doorway toward the living room.