Secrets & Surrender: Part One by L.G. Castillo

of me that I didn’t even know was there. I wondered if Mandi felt the same way. I thought of the way she stiffened every time I leaned in to ask her a question in class, of all the stolen glances when she didn’t think I was paying attention, of how she always seemed to be flustered when she was around me and only me. She had to have felt something too when her lips touched mine.
    Her fierce voice growled near my ear as she hovered over me, her silky hair brushing against my cheek. “Don’t you die, Marcelli.”
    Then her lips were on mine again, and I couldn’t stand it anymore. I jerked her to me, pressing her tightly against my chest. I kissed her long and hard. Her arms flailed, and her fists hit my arms as I laced my fingers underneath her hair. It was electrifying. A surge of passion swept through me like I’d never felt before. I held on tight, ignoring the whoops and whistles of the crowd, not knowing if this would be our first and last kiss.
    “Nic, you asshole!” Bianca’s voice was followed by a swift kick to my leg.
    Bianca’s kick was nothing compared to the pain I felt at each punch Mandi landed. Cody was right. It was amazing how her small hands could throw such powerful blows. But that kind of pain I could take. With each hit she made, it was finally getting into my head that Mandi didn’t like me. I must’ve read her signals wrong. Or maybe there weren’t any signals at all. She just wasn’t into me.
    Loosening my hold, I gave her one last gentle kiss goodbye. I had to let go. The thought of seeing her every day in class was bittersweet, knowing what it was like to touch her, to kiss her, to hold her, and knowing that nothing else would come of it.
    Just as I was about to let go, she weaved her fingers into my hair, deepening the kiss.
    Damn!
    My entire body was on fire as her full lips pressed hard against mine. She was so soft. Her hair, her lips, her cheeks. I slid my tongue along her sweet lips. She responded by opening slightly and letting me in. My chest rumbled with pleasure as my tongue explored every single crevice. She tasted so sweet. And then her tongue was in my mouth. I gripped my hand into a fist, feeling myself grow hard with just one single swipe of her tongue. Reluctantly, I pulled back, not trusting that I could keep control of myself if we continued to kiss like that.
    I held out my hand to her as I stood, helping her up. She looked dazed. Her legs seemed to shake as she stood. Her hair was all over the place. Her blouse was damp, clinging to her shapely body. I brushed back her hair, keeping my eyes locked with hers. “You’re missing a feather.”
    She didn’t say a word while I searched the ground. When I found it, I turned back to her. Her face was a mask. From the corner of my eye, I saw Cody standing next to Cassie. Both watched with anticipation. They looked worried for me.
    Confused, I turned my attention back to Mandi, and attached the feather to her headband. “So does that mean you’ll go out with me? I’m guessing you will...seeing as how you brought me back to life and all.” I grinned.
    Her mouth opened and closed as if she didn’t know what to say. Then she pressed her lips into a thin line and for a moment, I thought she was going to punch me again. And I would’ve deserved it, tricking her into kissing me like that. But when I gazed into her eyes, they were soft dark pools. It was then I knew. She did care, a lot, and for some reason she was fighting against it. Maybe Bianca was right. Maybe I had to show her that I cared for her too and that I wanted something more with her. With time, she’d see how much I cared if she just let her guard down a little bit.
    “Bite me, Marcelli.” She turned on her heel, her hoop earrings swinging as she marched away.
    Okay, so it was going to take a really long time.
    “Ah, progress.” I threw Cody and Cassie a smile before I ran after Mandi yelling, “I’ll pick you up tomorrow at eight!”
    She stopped in