Stolen Kisses

This is a scene from Perilous that stayed in, but in Jaci's POV. We see what she sees: Ricky and Amanda kissing. What I love about this scene is getting to know what Ricky's thinking as Amanda comes on to him. I simply love Ricky's character. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

“Ricky.”

Ricky flicked the bug off his jeans and looked up, sighing to himself. What did Amanda want now? His irritation faded when he saw her red, puffy eyes. “What’s wrong?”

Amanda stole at look toward Neal and ducked her head, hiding her face. “Can we go somewhere and talk?”

Ricky nodded. “Yeah.” He motioned for her to lead the way, and he followed her through the forest.

She walked until they were out of earshot, and then folded her arms across her chest and glared at him. “I need to know where I stand.”

Crap. Ricky sat down on a rotten log, then bent his head and looked off to the side. Why did girls always do this? He squinted up at Amanda, sunlight filtering through the bare branches behind her. “We just met, Amanda. Aren’t you rushing things?”

She narrowed her green eyes to slits. “Timing has nothing to do with it. I just thought there was something going on between us. But it seems I was wrong. There’s more going on between you and Sara than you and me.”

Ricky laughed, and then regretted it when he saw Amanda’s face. “Hey, sorry,” he said, spreading his hands. “It’s just that you’re completely wrong. She's like a little sister."

Amanda’s expression softened. “Really?”

Ricky nodded, raising an eyebrow. “So, does that settle everything?”

“Not quite.”

She wasn’t going to let it go. “Let's just have fun. Try not to be so serious.”

“Don’t you want to know how I feel for you?”

Easy. He knew the answer to this one. She liked him, of course. But he played along. “How do you feel for me?”

She crossed the distance between them in one step, then pressed her mouth to his. She caught him off-guard, but Ricky recovered quickly. He wrapped an arm around Amanda’s waist, pressing her closer to him. The other hand went behind her head.

Amanda  pulled back, her eyes searching his, and Ricky grinned. His pulse thrummed in his neck, and he wanted nothing more than to yank her to him and kiss her again. “I was not expecting that.”

She took his hand. “Did you think I'd never kissed anyone before?”

He shook his head. “I don't know.” He kind of had, actually. The girls seemed so... innocent. Kind of intimidating. 

“Jaci never has.”

Jaci. Why did Amanda have to bring her up? He fought the urge to take his hand back. “Then she’s a better person than I am.” Too good, in fact. She would never be interested in someone like him.

Stick with Amanda. Fun, flirtatious, attractive. Good kisser.