Chapter Thirty-Eight - Kiss
Nick knew his experience wasn't vast – he had dated in his youth with moderate success – but hadn't had a girlfriend since he'd opened the garage. None of his past relationships had rivalled what he felt for the rabbit now stowing two cleaned coffee mugs in a shelf with identical brothers and bounding back towards him.
He slid his hands down the front of his pants, trying to wipe away their clamminess. He wanted to finish this dinner – a date, right? – on terms that wouldn't be questioned as mere friendship, letting Judy know how much he liked her.
Nick forced out a grin as she stopped beside him, ever-expressive ears tall and perky, giving away her satisfaction at the evening.
"This was really fun," she said, a beam splitting her face. "We should do it again sometime."
"We will," Nick heard himself say, pleased at the confidence in his voice. "But there's one last thing I'd like to try before I go."
"Of course!" Judy clapped her hands. "What? Want to bake something? A dessert maybe? We just a received a huge shipment of strawberries – there was an error in the order, Bogo was so mad – and I know we won't be able to go through them all before they go ba—," the bunny ceased speaking as Nick stepped up to her, closing the space between them.
"Oh!" Her eyes widened, but the ears stayed aloft. "Oh, I see."
He placed a hand on her shoulder, the touch gentle and asking, and quirked a brow. "It would be a nice end to the night," he whispered, hoping he wasn't putting himself too out there. "Probably even better than dessert."
Judy's gaze darted to her feet. "I-I don't know, I make pretty awesome pies…."
Nick cleared his throat and leaned down, nosing her forehead. "Judy?"
"W-What if I mess up?" She mumbled, resolutely studying her toes. "I haven't kissed anyone since—."
"You won't."
She stared up. "How do you know?"
Nick grinned. "Cause I like you way too much to care otherwise," his words were puffs of air against her face before he bent and planted a chaste kiss on her lips. The contact was little more than a graze, still asking permission, and he withdrew, searching her face.
Judy frowned, and Nick blanched, his certainty vanishing.
She hated it! She hates me!
He let go of her shoulder as the floor seemed to drop out from under him. "I-I'm sorry. I should've just—."
"Yeah," she interrupted, startled at his immediate withdrawal. "Kept kissing me? That's what I was thinking too," her frown melted, and she rose up on her tip-toes. "Again?"
Nick still felt like the ground was about to swallow him whole. "Really?"
Judy put her hands behind his neck and pulled him down so she wouldn't have to stretch so far, closing her mouth over his in answer. Her kiss wasn't testing or timid, but skilled and full of delightful pressure.
The tile solidified under him, and Nick responded, pushing back and turning his head to deepen the contact. He took her lower lip in his teeth, careful to temper them and moved his mouth until she sighed softly. His tail swayed at the sound, and an unconscious rumble rose from his chest.
Judy's lips turned up against his in a smile, and she drew back, slightly breathless. "Did you just… growl?"
Nick felt his own smile start. "Dating a predator is easy, we can't hide when we're pleased," he whipped his tail faster on purpose.
"So we're dating then, are we?"
He made his tail still, and the rabbit laughed, sinking back to her heels.
"Better kiss me again to make it happy," he made the words woeful. "And tell me you're only joking."
Judy stared up in affection. "I'm joking."
Nick released an intentional rumble this time and leaned low to retake her lips. "I told you this would be great."
"We should probably practice more," she whispered, almost at his mouth. "Just to make sure."
He nodded and kissed her again, oblivious as his tail swished back and forth once more.