Chapter Forty-Two
Kassidy
#21—Make it official
“I guess we’re official now.” Archer nuzzles my cheek with his nose as he presses me up against his van in the parking lot before school. “Facebook official.”
“It does seem that way, doesn’t it?”
His lips trail over my cheek and up to my ear. “It is that way,” he whispers, and I shiver. Drawing back, he winks. “And to commemorate, I wrote you something.”
The smile he wears piques my interest. It also makes me a little wary. “Oh, really?”
“Yep.” When he starts bobbing his head up and down, I know what’s coming.
“A rap?”
He nods. “I know how much you love it.”
I giggle.
“Uh uh. Yo.”
A few students pass us, glancing over curiously, but Archer isn’t deterred. He continues his silly little dance.
“Uh uh. Parking lot before school, chilling with Kassidy. If I was allergic to hot girls, then I would sneeze. My name is Archer and my rhymes are fire, we can share a hot kiss now, if you so desire.”
His arm hooks around my waist, and he tugs me forward until we almost bump. His lips cover mine, stealing my breath. Reaching up, I skim my palm over his cheek and then run my fingers through his hair. One of his hands rests against my face while the other curves around my waist, drawing me forward. Our chests press together, our heartbeats mingling. His lips move deftly over mine, his tongue coaxing them open. A soft moan sounds at the back of my throat, and he kisses me more intensely.
When we part, I peer up at him. “That sounded suspiciously like the last rap you wrote for me.”
He shrugs. “Why mess with a good thing. Gotta give my fans what they want, right?”
“And by fans, you mean me?”
“You know it.” His fingertips skim my jawline. “Plus, it worked, right?”
I nod in agreement. “But to be fair, I would’ve kissed you even without the rap.”
“Ah. Let’s test that theory.”
Our lips are still so close it barely takes any movement for them to fasten to each other once again.
“Oh, God, my eyes!” Mac interrupts us.
After Archer pulls his lips away, I drop my head to his chest. When he laughs, it reverberates through my cheek.
“I’m sure your eyes have seen worse,” Archer assures him.
“Don’t mind him. He’s just jealous.” John waltzes up. “I guess congratulations are in order.”
“Dude, they’re not having a baby.” With wide eyes, Mac glances at us. “You’re not, right?”
A stunned laugh shoots from my mouth. “What? No.”
“By the way you two have been going at it, it could happen,” Mac points out, causing my face to flame.
I bury it in Archer’s chest again.
“She’s not pregnant. That would be impossible.” I’m grateful that Archer spells it out. I don’t want rumors like that to spread. There’s already been enough gossip about me this year.
As we walk toward the school hallway, Archer threads his fingers through mine. Mac and John walk to the side of us.
“Ross is coming to town for the weekend,” Archer says.
“Are you excited?”
“Yeah. And he’s excited to see you again.”
I smile, grateful that things aren’t weird anymore. Archer’s cool with Ross and I being friends. He knows it’ll never become anything more.
“Don’t tell Sophie, though,” I joke. “She’ll be camped out at your house wearing some skimpy outfit and hanging all over him.”
Archer laughs. “I’m so glad you’re not like that.” His gaze travels down to my jeans and T-shirt, our matching Converse. “I like you just the way you are.”
“I like you just the way you are too,” I say back.
“Man, you two are like something out of a bad chick flick,” Mac butts in. “Dude, I always thought you’d produce some cool action movie one day, but now I’m a little worried you’re going to make a lame romance.” He nudges me. “Your girl has brainwashed you.”
I nudge him back. “Or maybe he’s finally thinking clearly.”
“Ooh, burn,” John teases.
Archer laughs, proudly squeezing my hand.
Reaching the school hallway, Archer opens the door and I walk in, our hands still linked. Passing Ella, I catch the scowl on her face as she mutters something to her friend. Tiffany doesn’t hide her disgust, either. But I don’t let it get to me. They can think what they want. I don’t care. Archer’s all mine, and I’m proud of it.
…
“Told you she likes you.”
Nancy Drew has wanted absolutely nothing to do with me since Archer arrived tonight. She’s been camped in his lap for almost an hour while we sat on the couch, watching TV.
“I think it was a ploy by you to hog all the popcorn,” Archer says.
“No. This was all Nancy’s doing.”
With a gentle push, he nudges Nancy off his lap. Then he rubs his palms together, wiping off all the excess hair. “As much as I like Nancy Drew, I actually didn’t come over to spend time with her. And if I’m touching anyone, I’d like that ‘anyone’ to be you.”
“I won’t argue with that.” My insides flip the closer he comes. Pretty soon, he’s practically on top of me, his body sliding against mine. Our lips find each other quickly, as if they’ve been scoping each other out all night. His kiss is firm and strong. I lean into him, my body buzzing all the way down to my toes.
Feeling brave, I slip my hand to the bottom of his shirt and then under it. My palm connects with his stomach, and he sucks in a surprised breath. His hands feather down my neck and collarbone as our kiss deepens. Our tongues tangle as I continue to slide my palm up his stomach until it reaches his chest. It feels as good as I thought it would the day I saw it at his house. I haven’t been able to get it out of my mind. As if reading braille, I trace every ridge and nuance, memorizing it with the pads of my fingers.
I’ve never touched a guy’s chest before, unless you count the time I played Marco Polo at a party with some friends and I accidentally swam right up against some guy I hardly knew.
But this is nothing like that. This is on purpose. He’s not laughing at me or treating me like a joke. A low moan sounds at the back of his throat, and his breath is coming out more labored.
Footsteps in the hallway catch my attention, and I reluctantly remove my hand. Archer tears his mouth from mine, a flash of disappointment in his eyes. We scramble off of one another and sit upright. I smooth down my hair and lick my lips. Archer adjusts his shirt, tugging it over his stomach.
On the screen, a man shoots another man in the head. We both flinch.
“This is what you like to watch?” Archer raises his eyebrows. “You’re pretty badass.”
I laugh. “I don’t like the gore part. I like solving the mystery.”
“Ugh.” Sophie’s voice sounds from over my shoulder. “Seriously, this is what you’re watching?” Coming around the couch, she flops down in the recliner. She’s wearing sweats and her hair is in a bun. Surprisingly, her face is scrubbed clean. It’s rare to see Sophie without makeup on, but she’s so pretty she doesn’t need it. “Oh.” Sophie gives both of us the once over. “You two weren’t watching this, were you?”
My cheeks flush.
“Anyway, that’s cool because a special about the Playlisters is airing tonight. Wouldn’t you rather watch that?” Sophie asks.
“Not really,” I say.
“Doesn’t matter to me.” Archer scoots until we are flush against each other, then he drapes his arm over my shoulders. “I just want to be close to this girl.”
Sophie rolls her eyes. “You guys are disgusting.” Picking up the remote she points it at the TV. The channel changes and there is Ross singing and dancing around the stage with no shirt on, jeans riding low on his hips.
“If I wanted to see that I would’ve just looked in a mirror,” Archer jokes.
“You don’t look that much alike,” I say.
“We’re identical,” Archer says in disbelief. “We’ve actually pretended to be one another a lot of times and been successful.”
“I know. Looks-wise you are identical. But that’s where the similarities end. I’d never confuse the two of you.”
“Really?” He raises his brows. “If we were both here, you would definitely know which one I was.”
“No doubt.”
“I totally agree,” Sophie chimes in. “Ross is hot with a capitol H.” She licks her lips. “Yummy.” Her smile turns to a frown. “Then again, I’m the only of the three of us who hasn’t met him.”
Archer and I exchange a look. We won’t get away with hiding Ross forever. Inevitably Sophie will have to meet him. But we’ll do our best to keep under wraps as long as we can.
Without responding to Sophie, I lean over and whisper in Archer’s ear, “Don’t listen to her.” You’re definitely hotter than your brother. And I have met him.”
“God, I love you,” he growls.
I freeze, my heart stopping. Sophie gasps from over my shoulder.
Archer’s eyes widen. “Did I say that out loud?”
I nod. “Did you mean it?”
“I did. I’ve thought it a lot. I just couldn’t work up the nerve to say it.” He laughs in a stilted way. “Guess I just needed to blurt it out.”
“I love you, too, Archer.”
He rewards me with hot, searing kiss. Blocking out everything around us, I press my lips firmly to his. With my gentle touch, I convey how much he means to me, and with my lips I promise to never let him go.