Page 227 of Boys Next Door: Ominbus

“You sort of blindsided me. I didn’t know how to react. I thought you knewI knewyou were a guy, and was okay with you dressing up, and then you said you wanted to be friends, when I don’t want to be just friends with you, Tory. But if that’s all we can be, okay? Maybe we can start there. But you said you liked me?”

I blinked at him, sometimes my brain processed the world differently. “It’s okay if I like you?”

“Um, yeah. That’s sort of what I’m hoping for. That you like me as something more than a friend or a guy who looks nice in photographs?”

“It’s okay if I’m a guy and like to dress up as a girl sometimes?”

“Yes,” he agreed.

“And if I want to walk down the hall holding your hand?”

“You’re okay with me touching you?” He asked, his fingers lingering inches from my face as if he wanted to touch me.

“Yes,” I agreed.

He slid his hand through my hair and behind my neck, his other hand resting on my hip, drawing us closer. I nervously pushed up my glasses, feeling awkward but also breathless. “I love the glasses,” he said. “And your hair,” he studied me. “The eyes, with or without makeup,” he sighed deeply.

“My eyes aren’t as pretty as yours,” I offered.

“We’ll have to agree to disagree on that. Can we try this? Like together? You and me?” He asked.

“Can I take pictures of you?”

His dimpled smile returned. “If you can show me how to take some of you too.”

“Okay,” I agreed, staring into those sky-blue eyes and wondering if his lips would be as warm as his fingers on my neck were.

“I promised I’d ask before I kissed you again. Can I?” he asked.

I barely nodded, whispering, “Yes.” A second later he leaned in and touched his lips to mine. I breathed in a sigh of joyous relief as I sank into the heat of his lips, and the gentle caress of his touch. I couldn’t wait to learn all about Lucas Hart.