Page 32 of Playing to Win
“Alaska.”
“How in the world did she wind up in Oklahoma?”
“She said she wanted to go to law school at OU and thought she might as well familiarize herself with the campus before then. She also said she wanted to see a real life cowboy and Indian.”
Kyle laughed. “I bet she was disappointed when she realized the old west was dead.”
“Actually, I took her to an Indian pow wow my friend from high school, who also happens to be a rodeo calf roper, was going to with his girlfriend. She was in hog heaven.”
“You’re a pretty good friend, you know that, Curly?”
“Yeah, yeah. So they tell me. Now, come on. There’s something I want to show you.” Callie led him up the path. After a few minutes of walking, Kyle could see a building in the distance.
“Is that a—”
“Castle? Yeah. Pretty cool, huh? Bet you didn’t know there were castles in Oklahoma.”
“That, Curly, is something I really did not know.”
“I thought it was the coolest thing growing up. It was built as a summer home for a professor at OU. I used to pretend I was a princess locked high in a tower and was waiting on a prince to come rescue me. That was really the only girly thing I ever did,” she said with a smile.
“Cute story, kid,” he grinned. “Now, race you to the top.”
Kyle took off at a sprint with Callie following close behind. She must have been a sprinter in high school. The girl could run. He had barely reached the top step when she came up behind him, breathless from the sprint across the grass.
“Dang, Curly, where’d you get the wheels?”
“It’s the long legs,” she said, slapping her leggings-clad thigh. “They’re usually longer than everyone else’s. I don’t like this getting beat thing. It’s becoming a habit with you. And let me tell ya, handsome, I don’t like to lose.”
Callie looked at him, the sun a halo behind her wild mane of curls framing her face. The cold air and sprint had warmed her cheeks to a rosy pink and her hazel eyes sparkled with mischief. Kyle thought she was, in that moment, quite possibly the prettiest thing he had ever seen.
“You don’t know how truly beautiful you are, do you, Curly?” he whispered, leaning in close and framing her face with both his hands. “One of the prettiest things I’ve ever seen was a pod of dolphins jumping in the waves of Hanauma Bay in Hawaii just as the sun was setting in the sky. The sun was almost at the horizon, painting the sky with brilliant shades of orange and yellow. It looked like they were jumping into pools of gold. I didn’t think I would ever see something as beautiful again. But you, Curly. They don’t even hold a candle to you.”
Kyle had tried to hold out for as long as he could, but damn it, Curly had the most kissable lips he had ever seen. It was time to see if he had gotten under her skin as much as she had his.
“Now I’m going to tell you something I’m about to do, Curly, that way you can’t blame me for trying it without warning you,” Kyle said, his hands still on her cheeks, his thumbs rubbing soft circles on her skin. “But I have a feeling our lips would like to get to know one another and I’m the type of guy who always wants everyone to get along. So if you don’t want to be kissed, you better step away from me right now.”
Kyle held his breath, waiting for her answer. The ball was in her court.
Callie feltas if her heart was about to beat out of her chest. She should push him away. She should pull back. But the draw to Kyle that she had been denying ever since they had met was just too strong. She didn’t want to put up a wall anymore. It was finally time to start trusting again. And if she was going to trust, anyone, it was a pretty safe bet she had a pretty good guy to build that trust with in Kyle.
“Well, what are you waiting for then, Dimples? The sun’s not going to stay up all day.”
With a smile, Kyle pulled her into his chest and oh, so gently, pressed his lips softly to hers. Pulling back after a few seconds, he looked into her eyes. “Well, that was the introduction. I think they hit it off. What do you think?”
“I’m wondering if that’s all you’ve got?” she asked with a smirk.
“Oh, Curly, that’s a challenge if I ever heard one.” Kyle grabbed her face again, planting his lips more forcefully against hers. He gradually increased the pressure, opening her lips with his tongue, exploring her mouth with his, his hand winding its way into her hair to pull her even closer until they were chest to chest.
Callie wrapped her arms around his neck, leaning into his kiss, willing him to get closer to her, wanting to press herself close enough against him that she couldn’t tell where she ended and he began. His kisses became more urgent, his tongue deepening the kiss, tasting her as if she were the sweetest tasting candy in the world and he wanted to savor every mouthful.
Wowzers. She could get used to this. All she could think was fireworks. It was like firecrackers were going off in her belly. Forget the damn butterflies. She was on fire. Dimples was one of the best kissers she had ever had the pleasure of kissing. He was also right. Their lips did want to get to know each other. And if it were up to her, they were on their way to becoming best friends.
Kyle finally leaned back,breaking their kiss. He felt like his heart was about to beat out of his chest. It was like he was in junior high all over again. He hadn’t felt this googly-eyed over a girl since Tamara Hawkins in sixth grade. His mom, a big fan of Bambi, told him he was “twitterpated.” That’s how he felt. Like he was Thumper and Curly was scratching his ear until his leg was about to thump out of its socket.
“That was some kiss, Curly,” he said, leaning down and pressing his forehead against hers, breathing in her scent.
“Mmm hmmm.”
