Chapter 16 : The First Kiss

I stood on my tippy-toes, the sand blanketing my feet, and met his parted lips. At that moment, I expected him to pull away—to be caught off guard—but he didn't. He returned my kiss but didn't deepen it like I had hoped. Matias placed one hand on the middle of my back and pulled me closer to him, only to open his mouth more, but not to kiss, rather to speak. "Call me Mateo," he whispered, the feeling of his warm breath resting on my lips as his eyes pointed down at mine. His brown orbs, which looked more like a deeper cinnamon, had changed under the sun's rays, and they appeared softer, more like the color of the sand beneath us. "Why not Matias?" I tossed back, and I narrowed the space between our lips again. I tasted notes of bergamot and mint as I worked my tongue around his mouth. The flavors were mildly tart with an aftertaste of sweetness, followed by an invigorating spearmint that awakened all of my senses. I felt the pressure from his hand strengthen