Free Shadowed Strength: Shadowed Series Book One by Wendi Wilson Page A

ran.”
    “You don’t even
look winded. Your body must be in really good shape. I mean, er, as in physical
fitness. Oh, God, I’m shutting up now.”
    Jeremy smiled and
pulled her in for a quick hug. “Is your mom home?”
    “No, she works
until six every night.”
    “Can I come in?”
    “Umm, sure? I
mean, yes. Definitely yes.”
    She unlocked the
door and led him inside. She was freaking out, wondering what she’d do if he
asked to see her bedroom. She’d never had a kiss, like a real kiss, much less
had a boy in her bedroom. But Jeremy went straight into the living room and sat
down on the couch.
    Melanie dropped
her backpack on the floor and closed the front door.
    “Do you want
something to drink? Maybe some food? I could make you a sandwich. You want a
soda?”
    Oh, God I’m
rambling again .
    He gave her a
small smile and shook his head. “No, thanks. Come sit with me. I think we need
to finish our conversation from earlier.”
    Oh no. He’s
gonna take it all back. I knew it. I was right. He couldn’t possibly like me
like that, no matter what Tara says. All this went
through her head and she didn’t move a muscle.
    “Mel? You ok? You
don’t want to sit next to me?”
    He looked
disappointed and Melanie never wanted to see that look on his face again. She
ran over and threw herself onto the couch next to him. He turned to face her
with a serious look on his face.
    “Listen, Mel…”
    “It’s okay,
Jeremy. I get it. If you just want to be friends, that’s fine…”
    “Wait. What? What
are you talking about?”
    “Well, uh, you
looked all serious like I wasn’t going to like what you had to say and I just
assum-”
    “Don’t assume
anything with me, Mel,” he interrupted. “You can talk to me about anything. Ask
me anything. Ask me for anything. You don’t have to be shy or
embarrassed around me. I like everything about you, and I was most definitely not going to take back what I said earlier today.”
    Melanie was
speechless. She stared at him in wide-eyed wonder as he stared back earnestly.
This was not how she expected this conversation to go.
    “What I wanted to
say was this,” he continued after a moment. “Will you be my girlfriend?”
    Melanie almost
fainted. Dropping her head, she closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her
nose. There was no way she could explain this away in her mind. No more
denials, no more rationalizations. Jeremy wanted her. Like, for real.
    “Oh, God, you’re
killing me, Mel. Can you please answer me?”
    She looked back up
at him quickly with a smile on her face. “Yes,” she answered. “Definitely, yes.
Yes, yes, yes.”
    He smiled the
brightest smile she’d ever seen on him and reached over and pulled her close.
He leaned his face in close to her and she smelled his scent: like boy and pine
trees and something spicy. He smiled that special smile again and closed the
distance to touch his lips to hers. Her eyelids slammed down as his lips
lingered. He tilted his head to get a better angle and his tongue darted out to
meet the seam of her lips.
    Her mouth opened
in shock, and he took that opportunity to taste the inside of it, rubbing his
tongue lightly against hers. She was so surprised, she nearly clamped her teeth
down. She stopped herself just in time, but Jeremy must have sensed something
was wrong because he ended the kiss and pulled back.
    “Are you ok? I
mean, with this? Do you like it? Because we can stop, if you want. Just say
when.”
    Oh my God, she thought, I’m seriously gonna die now. I have to tell him, or
he’s going to think I don’t like kissing him. God, I am such a loser, she
thought, her gaze dropping to her hands.
    “ Mel?”
    She looked back up
at his face. She stared at his beautiful lips for a second and then met his
eyes. Then she blurted it out.
    “That was my first
real kiss and I wasn’t sure if I was doing it right.”
    He stared at her
with a blank look on his face. She looked back down at her lap and covered