Free Kissing Her Crush by Ophelia London Page A

either.”
    “Either? Do we share other secrets?”
    Her face went pale and then she blushed again. Her expressions were like a living Monet. “The importance of my job is only one item on the laundry list of reasons why it was a mistake.”
    Luke was about to ask what her other reasons were, but didn’t, since he had his own laundry list.
    “Fine.” He was capable of controlling himself around her. And since kissing hadn’t legitimately crossed his mind until the moment it happened, it wouldn’t be a problem to not do it again.
    Then Natalie bit her bottom lip. And Luke could taste it.
    “If you’re serious about not wanting me to kiss you, you better stop.”
    “Huh?”
    “When you bite your lip like that, it’s damn near… I’m only human.”
    “I won’t bite my lip if you won’t…” She paused and her eyes did a quick sweep up the front of his body, causing a fist of heat to punch through his chest. “Um, just like, wear a bag over your head or something.”
    “Like a grocery bag?”
    “Yeah, that’d be great.” She smiled and rolled her eyes. “As hilarious as it might be, we’re done with this subject. The more we talk about it, the more I want to…”
    He didn’t interrupt. She might not be biting her lip, but the thought of never finishing that kiss made his brain ache.
    She slid on a pair of sunglasses and turned into the breeze. “The subject is officially dropped forever. Okay?”
    Though Luke wasn’t quite ready to not think about what they’d done in the tunnel, he did agree with her. Nothing was more important than landing this job at the NIH.
    “Okay by me,” he said, facing the other direction. “Anyway, it was only a kiss.”

Chapter Five
    A fter refusing a ride home from Luke, Natalie didn’t have the guts to wait for Ivy to finish at the med center. Her best friend would have questions about why she’d dragged Luke to the park, what they’d done there, and why she was now standing at the entrance gate alone. Fuming.
    So instead, she called Muff.
    “What were you doing here?” her brother asked while Natalie fastened her seatbelt.
    “Working,” she said, as he maneuvered though the parking lot.
    “Since when do you work at Hersheypark?”
    “I don’t.” So much for no nagging questions. She rolled down her window for fresh air and immediately spotted a black Jeep tailing them. “Son of a— He’s following me.”
    Muff hit the brakes. “Who?”
    “Don’t stop!” Natalie slid down in the seat, though it was too late to hide. Luke obviously hadn’t left the park but had waited until someone came to get her. She wasn’t sure if she should be flattered or ticked.
    It was only a kiss . Luke had actually said that to her. Only a kiss . Nothing could’ve ticked her off more or made her feel like she had when they were kids and Luke never gave her the time of day. Even after the boathouse.
    He hadn’t noticed her back then, so why would he notice her now?
    Before her heart could fill with the familiar disappointment that should’ve been buried deep, she decided to think of it as only a kiss, too. She was a grown woman and could kiss anyone she wanted without it meaning anything.
    “Who’s following you?” Brandon repeated.
    Natalie bit the inside of her cheeks. “No one. A work colleague.”
    “You said he.”
    “Yeah.” She scrunched lower in the seat, practically eating her knees.
    “Since when do you work with guys?”
    “Since always. I don’t tell you everything.”
    “Liar.”
    Natalie turned to him. “Why are you being a pain in the ass?”
    He adjusted the rearview mirror. “You caught me on a good day.”
    “I like it. I miss your pain in my ass.”
    “Gross. My good day is over.”
    Normally, she’d be thrilled to get more than two words out of her brother. And she was tempted to circle back to the subject he seemed interested in.
    Only a kiss. She inwardly scoffed. Bite me.
    After they passed through an intersection, she casually