I was confused. "Rose?" I giggled. "Is that a nickname?"

"Do you like it?"

I nodded. He knew perfectly well why he called me that…

He looked at me for a while, then kissed me again, this time deeper and slower. I could taste me on his tongue: salty, mixed with the faint minty flavor of the gum he'd been chewing earlier. His lips were swollen and moist, and every time they brushed against mine, a fresh shiver ran down my spine.

She pulled back just enough to look at me, as if she were thinking a