Kiss List (Book I of the List Series)

Chapter 30 - Aaron

The basement was packed with girls. A handful of bemused but pleased-looking boys sat around a poker table as the girls laughed and chatted with them. Aaron was nowhere to be seen.

I saw Alyssa waving to me from the other end of the basement. She was standing beside a wooden door and was surrounded by several other varsity soccer girls. I eagerly pushed my way through the crowd to her.

"Aaron is inside the room with Lindsey," Alyssa said when I reached her, gesturing to the door. "The girls managed to talk him into agreeing to judge their kisses. He seemed to think it was silly but his friends gave him a hard time about it until he agreed to do it. He's wearing a blindfold. The rules are you go in, get a chance to kiss him without saying a word to him, and then at the end he'll tell us what number contestant was the best kisser. Of course, no one really cares about the competition, even though they're telling Aaron that they do. They just want an excuse to kiss him."

I nodded. "Got it," I said. "What's our plan? How do I find out if he likes me?"

"It's simple," Alyssa said with a smile. "Just wear this above your right ear." She held out a flower to me.

It wasn't just any flower. This was a bright red and orange fire lily like the ones my mom had planted. In fact, seeing as how I had never seen another fire lily in town besides the ones beneath the shade of the roof in my front yard, this was probably from the same bush that she planted.

"One of my mother's flowers?" I asked in confusion. "How did you get this?"

"I took it from your yard," Alyssa said. "I think it will bring good luck. It's very pretty."

My eyes widened in shock. "That's your grand plan?" I thundered. "To wear a flower that may or may not bring me luck? That's all you've come up with?"

Alyssa smiled. "Don't worry," she said mysteriously. "There's a little more to it than that. Be patient. I told you I would find out for you whether Aaron liked you. You just need to trust me." 

I groaned inwardly. My newly acquired confidence had already been shaken. In the back of my mind I had expected Alyssa to come up with something brilliant and full proof. Being able to rely on that felt good. Now I wasn't sure whether to believe her or not. I knew she had my best interests at heart but what if she just couldn't figure out a way to get the job done?

Unfortunately, I didn't have any time to reconsider my strategy or come up with a new idea. A second later the door opened and a very happy Lindsey walked out. She smiled at all of us and swung a tee-shirt around her index finger. "I got his shirt, girls," she said. "See if you can beat that."

"Sadie's up next," Alyssa said loudly. She stuck the flower above my ear and shoved me into the room. A moment later I heard the door slam shut behind me.

The room was dimly lit. I could only see part of it from where I stood. I walked slowly into the room and then I froze. There it was – my favorite sight in the world. Aaron without his shirt on.

Nate was a stunning and very attractive boy, there was no denying that. Aaron, however, was the one I had wanted for years. He sat shirtless in a chair while the light from a lamp gleamed off his skin. His body was perfect. His muscles were larger and more well defined than Nate's were. Two years was a big difference for boys in high school. Whereas Nate was still growing out of boyhood, Aaron was all man. I controlled my primal urges only with the greatest difficulty.

I walked up to Aaron, wondering what he must be thinking. Who did he think was in the room with him? Would he be happy if he knew it was me? Angry? I knew I would be terrified if I were in a similar situation but Aaron seemed calm. I began to doubt the earlier epiphany I had come to with Nate. Maybe boys really were a completely different species. Why couldn't they be more open with their feelings? Trying to guess what a boy was thinking was as fruitful an exercise as searching for emotional capacity in a rock.

When I reached Aaron I realized I didn't know how to start. Should I just bend down and plant a kiss on him? Somehow that didn't seem romantic. How, then?

I started to panic again. The only thing that came to mind was how I had sat on Sam's lap when he was handcuffed to the weight-lifting bench. That was the only time I had kissed a boy who was sitting down. Had Sam enjoyed that? Well, he had complained that I had crushed his "junk." That certainly didn't sound pleasant. Did that happen to all boys? Aaron was wearing sweatpants so it was hard to tell what I might risk sitting on.

Ultimately, I had no better ideas and the longer I just stood there the more awkward it seemed. I walked up to him and rested a hand on his shoulder. Then I sat sideways in his lap, being careful to sit a little farther down on his thighs than I had with Sam. Why was I so clueless when it came to boys? I took a deep breath, moved my hand up to rest on the side of his face, and then I did what I wanted to do for years. I kissed Aaron Caldwell.

I had felt a spark with Nate. With Aaron I felt an explosion. It was like fireworks were going off in my head. I had built up so much anticipation and yearning for this moment that its arrival sent waves of excitement and energy through my body.

Aaron wrapped his arms around me and more thrills of excitement rolled through me. This felt so right. Everything about the moment was perfect in ways that it had not been with any other boy. I felt safe and secure in his warm muscular arms, almost like a princess in a fairy tale who had been rescued by a brave and a gallant knight. I knew such thoughts were absurd and even bordered on chauvinistic but at that moment I didn't care. Nothing mattered except for his lips and his embrace.

Then Aaron picked me up like his brother had but when he set me on the bed in the room I felt no need to resist. Aaron did not try to take my shirt off. Instead, he laid on top of me, supporting his weight with his arms. I put my arms around his neck and he leaned down and kissed me.

It felt so good. I couldn't have explained in words the feelings and emotions surging through me. I had finally made a physical connection with Aaron and now I dared to dream what it would be like to connect with him on other levels – emotionally, intellectually, spiritually. Did he feel the awesome potential for one of the great romances of all time like I did? Or was he just enjoying the physical sensations of the moment?

I needed to show Aaron that I was his equal. I might be a princess but that did not mean I was a damsel in distress. I wanted prove to him that I was capable of taking charge. I reached up and gently but firmly moved him to the side. I pressed him flat against the bed and laid down on top of him. This time I was the one supporting my weight on my arms. My hair fell into his face. He chuckled and ran his fingers through my hair to move it out of the way. I felt the fire lily fall off of my ear but that was the least of my worries. I lowered my face to his and kissed his perfect lips. I wanted more and more of him. It felt like I could not feel enough of his powerful body beneath me. I moved my hands over his skin, committing every contour of his muscles to memory. I had dreamed about what his body felt, smelled, and tasted like for years. Now I wanted to cement those sensations in my mind forever.

Minutes passed like fleeting seconds. Finally, Aaron had to come up for breath. He was actually gasping. Pride welled up within me. I had winded the hottest stud in my high school.

"Who are you?" he asked breathlessly. He raised a hand to his blindfold as if to remove it.

I snatched his wrist, holding his fingers firmly away from the blindfold. I couldn't reveal myself now. I couldn't bear to endure the look of discomfort, disappointment, or even resentment that might cross his face if he was confronted with mine.

I stood up. Then I lost it. I couldn't stand to see his look of disapproval. It would destroy this special moment. I needed to get out of the room before he discovered my identity. I darted for the door. "Wait!" I heard him say but I was already opening the door. A moment later I disappeared into the comfortable anonymity of the crowd of girls.