Read Online Kissing Her Crush by Ophelia London - Free Book Online Page A

Tunnel?” Luke asked. “The sign says Lost River.”
    Ohmigad , Natalie’s teenaged-self squealed. You’re totally in the Kiss Tunnel with Luke!
    “It’s what everyone calls it,” she said, trying to shush that voice, swat away those antiquated crushy feelings.
    “Because it’s where you come to make out?”
    She shrugged. “In middle school, maybe.”
    “Ah. So kissing’s required after all?”
    “Not required .” Her protest echoed off the tunnel walls, so she lowered her voice. “It’s the only ride with privacy. Teenagers don’t need much more romantic atmosphere than a room with the lights off.”
    Just when she’d almost wiped the image from her mind, she was back to remembering that night all those years ago. The two times they’d been alone this week, Luke hadn’t brought it up. Either he’d blocked it out, or it had been so anti-climactic for him that he’d forgotten about it.
    Which was worse?
    “I see your point. This is the perfect place to make out,” Luke said as his arm tightened around her shoulders. Or maybe he was only adjusting his position. “The sound of the water,” he continued, his voice hushed like hers. “The rocking of the boat, up and down, up and down.” His eyes shifted her way. “You next to me, bathed in this hypnotic, unearthly light.” His free hand brushed across her cheek, tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
    Natalie tried to speak, but everything in her stopped. Everything except the recall of how familiar and amazing it felt to be crushing on Luke.
    “Kissing is definitely a requirement,” he added, leaning in.
    Her eyes stayed open. Because her brain was mush. Because she was sixteen again. Because she was too dang shocked to breathe.
    Luke Elliott was kissing her.
    His arm around her rotated her shoulders so she angled toward him. Warmth rushed to her lips, pulsating blood at the spot where their bodies touched. They’d barely gotten started when Luke drew back, their noses still close enough to touch. He looked at her through the shadowy red light, his gaze holding, a glimpse of hesitation in his eyes. Before what that meant could register, she saw something else in his eyes, something he could probably see in hers.
    Natalie grabbed his face and pulled him in. The tiniest voice in the back of her head was saying something about danger or rules or ethics, but the second Luke’s lips parted hers, everything faded, except the taste of honey.

    W hat were those rational, psychological reasons for why Luke shouldn’t be attracted to Natalie? He’d just been reviewing them, but he couldn’t even remember the basic food pyramid when he’d seen her under the glowing red lights. Instead, he’d babbled on and on about all the reasons why this was the perfect place to kiss…almost like he’d been talking himself into it.
    Natalie’s soft hands held his face, and she kissed him so hard that his legs went numb. Once he managed to suck in some oxygen, he tried to pull her to him, but something was stopping him, a physical barrier stronger than his need to hold her close.
    So he made the most of it by sliding his hands into her hair, combing through the long, untamed strands. When his mouth touched her neck, she made a gasping sound that went straight to his head.
    But then she pulled back.
    Was she stopping them? Was there an annoying nagging at the back of her mind, too?
    No, she hadn’t done it to stop, but to slither under the safety bar. With blood rushing behind his ears, Luke slid to the middle of the bench seat, pushed the bar away as far as he could, then pulled her onto his lap, her legs straddling him.
    His lips found her neck again, and he heard a soft laugh, that same little gasp. The sound made him hungry. She held his head and tilted his face, cupping his cheeks like before, kissing him squarely on the mouth until his mind emptied of all nagging voices.
    Needing more of her to touch, he ran his hands up her thighs, feeling the rough denim