And this kiss was somehow even better than the first one. I felt desired. Alive. And God, all I wanted was more. I reached up and placed my hand on his chest. I wanted to pull him closer. But when I tried to find his Empire High tie, it was missing.

He grabbed my hand off his chest and put it behind my back. And then he clasped both my wrists in one of his hand as he kept kissing me. He pulled on my wrists, making me arch my back.

I was vaguely aware of something falling off the shelf behind me, but I didn’t care. I just wanted this kiss to last forever.

He groaned into my mouth and pressed his body more firmly against mine. I could feel his hardness against my stomach. I loved the feeling of him against me. I loved his hands on me. And his lips on mine. He was kissing me like I was the air he needed to breathe. Like I was the only thing that mattered.

I tried to free my hands, but he just gripped my wrists tighter to keep me in place. Completely at his mercy.

His free hand landed on the center of my chest, where I’d touched him a minute ago. And for just a second, his hand stayed there, like he was completely content with feeling how fast my heart was beating from his kiss.

But then his hand skated right, cupping my breast through my shirt.

Screw feeling alive before. This was feeling alive.

I arched into him even more.

He groaned again and bit my bottom lip.

God.

But then his hands fell from my body.

“Wait,” I said and took a step forward.

He didn’t respond.

I saw a flash of light and turned my head as the door opened. And whoever it was had pulled the hood of an Empire High blue hoodie up over his head so I couldn’t identify him as he left.

The door closed and the darkness was all around me again.

“Wait!” I yelled. I felt around in the dark closet until I found the doorknob. I threw open the door and looked both ways for someone in a blue hoodie. But the hallway was still full of people in Empire High blue and orange. And I didn’t see anyone with their hood up.

I sighed. My kiss thief had masterfully disappeared into the crowd.

I tried to think if I’d gotten any more clues. I’d tried to touch him, but he’d pulled my hand away. And I didn’t know what his cologne smelled like, because all I could smell was lemon-scented cleanser.

How had I not gotten any more information? I sighed and leaned against the closest locker. The kiss thief strikes again. And he stole second base.

“What the hell are you doing?!” someone shouted down the hall.