Path To Resolution (Fighter's Den, #5)

Chapter 10 - Lenny

"You...what?" Aria's disbelief is loud and clear through the phone.

"Kissed him." I repeat, cringing. "Jumped on him like a spider monkey and went to town on his face."

There's a huge pregnant pause and it doesn't take a genius to guess she's totally floored. "Oh, Len."

"I know." I groan. "I know, okay? It was reckless and stupid and probably ruined everything."

"Well, did he seem into it?"

My mind goes back to the kiss, the way his body responded to mine and the absolute intensity of his mouth working my own. He'd gripped me in place and all but ravished me, nothing like the reserved and rational Wolfe I know. It was like watching him come out of his shell for that one brief moment and it was fucking beautiful. I'd gotten a glimpse of the man underneath the walls and now I'm greedy for more. What is he like when he lets go?

"Definitely into it." I murmur, my neck growing hot. I shift in place, turned on from the memory of the kiss alone.

"It clearly got to you." I can hear the smile in her voice. "You sound really worked up."

"Why do you think I called? Something's wrong with me. This is not normal."

I hear her snort with laughter, sputtering like she may have just choked on a drink. "Lenny, there's nothing wrong with you for enjoying a kiss."

"Yeah but it wasn't just a kiss. There's...feelings. Emotions. How gross is that?"

"Ah. So that's the problem here. You're scared because he's making you feel things that aren't just physical attraction."

"It's not a big deal." I intervene quickly. "Don't make it one. It's a stupid crush and I'm sure it'll go away."

"Uh-huh." Her amusement couldn't be more obvious. "And what are you going to do when you see your stupid crush today?"

"What do you mean?"

"Are you going to kiss him again? Does your kiss change what you guys have or are you going to pretend it didn't happen?"

"I don't know. I didn't think that far."

"I wonder if that was his first kiss."

Oh, shit. I can't believe the possibility didn't occur to me before. I suddenly feel like I might throw up.

"Why would you say something like that?" I groan. "Now you're freaking me out. What if that was his first kiss?"

"Then it'll be one to remember?"

"Not funny. That kiss was supposed to be fun and sexy and meaningless, like a joke between two friends. I didn't expect it to be so...so..."

"Earth-shattering?" She supplies. "Mind-blowing? Panty-melting?"

"Something like that." I retort drily.

"You're screwed." She chirps. "My first kiss with Asher was just like that. Look at where we are now."

That gets a scoff out of me. "Oh, please. You and lover boy have been in love your whole lives. My situation could not be more different."

"I'm not talking about your situation. I'm talking about the attraction between you and Wolfe. That pull you feel towards him. You've kissed plenty of guys but nothing like this. And you can't seem to explain it either, right? Why he's so different and why he's making you feel all these things you've never felt before?"

There's nothing I can say to that because she's right. Wolfe started out as just another guy and now he's anything but. And the kiss we shared? I can't explain it but deep down it shifted something inside of me. It's weird enough that he made me feel all those things as is because I'm known to emotionally shut off during intimacy. It's a survival instinct of mine. I just...shut off. But not with Wolfe. I came alive with him and I can't explain why.