Suddenly, a bright streak of light blinded us for a moment. Moments later, booming thunder overshadowed the rain. Daemon’s expression was cast in shadows.
I shook my head. “The bear was scared of a storm?”
“I guess so.”
“We got lucky then,” I whispered, glancing down. I was drenched as was Daemon. The rain was coming down even harder, making it difficult to see more than a couple of feet off the porch, giving the sense we were in our own private world. “It rains here like it does in Florida.” I didn’t know what else to say. My brain felt fried.
Daemon nudged my knee with his. “I think you may be stuck with me for a few more minutes.”
“I’m sure I look like a drowned cat.”
“You look fine. The wet look works for you.”
I scowled. “Now I know you’re lying.”
He shifted beside me, and without a word, I felt his fingers lift my chin toward him. A crooked smile lifted his full lips. “I wouldn’t lie about what I thought.”
I wished I had something clever to say, maybe even a little flirty, but his intense stare sent any coherent thought scattering.
Confusion flashed in his eyes as he leaned forward, his lips parting slightly. “I think I understand now.”
“Understand what?” I whispered.
“I like to watch you blush.” His voice barely above a murmur as his thumb traced circles on my cheek.
He lowered his head, resting his forehead against mine. We sat like that, the two of us, caught in something that hadn’t been there before. I think I stopped breathing. My heart seemed to take several stuttered steps and then freeze, anticipation welling up through me, threatening to spill over in any given second.
I didn’t even like him. He didn’t like me. This was insane, but it was happening.
Lightning struck again, this time much closer. The following snap of thunder didn’t even startle us. We were in our own world. And then his crooked smile slipped from his face. His own eyes were confused and desperate, but still searching mine.
Time seemed to slow, every second stretching out before me, tantalizing and torturing every breath I took. Waiting, wanting to show him whatever he was looking for as his eyes darkened to a deep green. His face strained, as if he were waging an internal battle. Something in his eyes made me feel very unsure.
I knew the second he made up his mind. He took a deep breath and his beautiful eyes closed. I felt his breath against my cheek, slowly moving to my lips. I knew I should pull back. He was bad, bad news. But my own breath caught in my throat. His lips were so close to mine, I desperately wanted to meet him halfway, to rush forward to test if his lips were as pillow soft as they looked.
“Hey guys!” Dee called out.
Daemon jerked back, sliding in one fluid movement and putting a healthy distance between us on the swing.
I sucked in a sharp breath, surprise and disappointment churning in my stomach. My body was still tingling as if it had been deprived of oxygen. We’d been so absorbed in each other, neither of us had noticed the rain had stopped.
Dee came up the steps, her smile fading as her gaze went from her brother to me. She squinted her eyes. I was sure my face was blood red, making it obvious that she’d interrupted something. But she only stared at her brother, her lips forming a perfect, pouty O.
He grinned at her. The same lopsided grin that gave the impression that he was secretly laughing. “Hey, there, sis. What’s up?”
“Nothing,” she said, eyes narrowing. “What are you doing?”
“Nothing,” he replied, jumping from the swing. He glanced at me over one broad shoulder. “Just earning bonus points.”
His words whipped through the pleasant haze as he hopped off the porch and ambled toward his own house. I glanced at Dee, wanting to chase after Daemon and dropkick him. “Was almost kissing me a part of the deal to get his keys back or to keep you happy?” My voice was tight. My skin hurt.
Dee sat beside me on the swing. “No. That was never a part of the deal.” She blinked slowly. “Was he about to kiss you?”
I felt my cheeks burn even hotter. “I don’t know.”
“Wow,” she murmured, her eyes wide. “That was unexpected.”
And this was awkward. I didn’t want to even think about what would’ve happened if she hadn’t showed, and definitely not while she was sitting here. “Uh, you went to visit family?”
“Yeah, I had to before school started. Sorry I didn’t get a chance to tell you. It kind of happened all of a sudden.” Dee paused. “What were you and Daemon doing earlier…before the almost-kissing part?”
“We went on a walk. That’s all.”
“That’s odd,” she continued, watching me closely. “I had to steal his keys, but he got them back.”
My face scrunched. “Yeah, thanks for that, by the way. There’s nothing like a boy being blackmailed into hanging out with you to boost the self-esteem.”
“Oh, no! It wasn’t like that at all! I thought he needed…motivation to be nicer.”
“He must really value his car,” I muttered.
“Yeah…he does. Has he been spending a lot of time with you while I was gone?”
“We haven’t spent that much time together. We went to the lake one day and then just today. That’s all.”
A curious look crossed her features, and then she smiled. “Did you guys have a good time?”
Unsure of how to answer, I shrugged. “Yeah, he was actually pretty decent. I mean, he has his moments, but it wasn’t all bad.” If I didn’t count the fact he was being forced into spending time with me, had almost kissed me for b onus points.