Free When It's Right by Jeanette Grey Page B

you to go through the motions with me. Or settle for good enough, or even date me just because you still want to be friends. I thought I could stop being friends with you. I thought I’d have to…”
    The words were spinning beyond her control, nothing coming out right, and it was almost a relief when he broke in.
    “You wanted to stop being friends with me?”
    God, his voice sounded wrecked.
    “I thought it was the only way.” She reached out for his hands, felt their warmth even through the layers of their gloves. Her eyes were stinging again, the edges of her mouth trembling with the force of the smile that was threatening to break down. “How else was I supposed to get over you?”
    All at once, everything seemed to get very quiet. Like there was no one else in the entire world.
    “Cassie…”
    She squeezed his fingers tighter. “From the very first moment I saw you, I wanted you.” Her confessions were pouring out of her now, and the whole world seemed weightless. Like she was free. “And I have loved you. I’ve loved you for so long.” And it was too much, too much to lay herself out like this while he was staring at her, gaping. Doubt churned. She started to backtrack before she could stop herself. “If you don’t want… I mean, I’ll understand if—”
    “Cass.” He was smiling, and he stepped in even closer, until there was barely any space between their bodies, his breath washing over her face, so warm against the cold. His eyes danced, and his hands disentangled from hers to settle on her hips. “I love you, too. I’ve always loved you.” The one side of his mouth relaxed, leaving his grin crooked and open. “I just didn’t know how until now.”
    His gaze flitted down to her lips, and she tilted her chin up, her whole body going soft in anticipation. It wouldn’t be their first kiss, but there was no mistaking this time what it meant. He wanted her, exactly the way she wanted him. Her lungs felt like they were going to explode.
    Only the kiss didn’t come.
    She opened her eyes, surprised to find they had closed. The sound of the crowd around them rushed back in, and her gaze darted to the screen on the side of the building opposite them as voices rang out as one.
    “Ten…”
    “Cassie?”
    Nate was looking down at her, his smile wider now, humor dancing in his eyes.
    “Nine…”
    She blinked in confusion. “Yes?”
    “You never answered my question from before.”
    The countdown continued around them as she scrambled to remember what he’d asked.
    He shook his head and rolled his eyes. “Can I kiss you at midnight?”
    Oh. Oh.
    She curled her hand around the back of his neck, feeling breathless and flushed and ready. So ready. She licked her lips, but at the last second decided to be coy. “Guess you’re just going to have to try it and see.”
    In the back of his throat, he growled.
    “Three…two…one…”
    The “one” had barely stopped resounding across the square before his lips were on hers, the warm press of them soft and full and right . She gave herself over to it in a way she never had before, taking and giving, opening to taste the sweep of his tongue. His cold nose bumped hers, his smile too tight to kiss past, and then they were staring at each other, lips just a hairsbreadth apart.
    “Happy New Year, Cassie.”
    “Happy New Year, Nate.”
    She pulled him back down to her for another wet kiss.
    Happy didn’t begin to describe it. She had a feeling it was going to be their best year yet.

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