Chapter 16 #4
This is nothing like the kiss outside. Tension explodes between us.
Years of longing and wishing and wondering what this would be like.
Nothing that I imagined or dreamed could ever come close to the reality of her.
How soft she is against me, her curves melting into my body as my arms close around her to pull her closer and to shelter her.
I never could have imagined the heat, or how her lips move and tangle with mine.
How her tongue darts out and laps against my mouth, hot and wet.
I moan and part, and then her tongue is in my mouth.
Not all the way, but a little. I meet it with mine, and holy shit, I’m going to pass out.
Black spots dance in front of my eyes and they’re not even open.
I swallow her whimpers and her breath. I drink her in, inhale her sweetness and the rest of her.
I want more. I just… want.
I cup her face with both palms and drive deeper as I sink my fingers into her hair. She strokes my tongue with hers, this time all the way, with the whole length, and I get so dizzy that I have to lean against her to hold me up.
Her hips writhe against mine in a roll that takes my breath away. My cock is so hard. Another grind against it and there’s a good chance that I’ll explode. In my jeans.
Her heart hammers against my chest and she moves again. I barely make it through. I have to tear my lips away from hers and then the rest of me. She’s flushed and mussed, her eyes blown out. Her lips are red and swollen, shoulders heaving as she pants.
I did that. Oh my fucking god, I did all of that.
“I wanted you to have a proper kiss.” She strokes my chin and then her thumb traces over my tingling bottom lip. Goosebumps explode all over my skin. “Where no one else could see but us.” Her arms fold around me and she holds me, hugging me like she never wants to let go.
I groan and sag even harder against her like all my muscles have turned to jelly at the same time. I wondered for so long if it would feel right between us, or if it was all in my head.
“Sorry.” I’m probably ridiculously flustered.
“I had to stop—I… want to do all the little things with you. All the things we used to do. I want friendship and laughter. I want the mundane. I want to figure it all out. I want to have meals together, share music, share all the details of our days. I want to help you figure out what you want to do, and I want to protect your peace wherever we are. I want to ask you about your day and share mine. I want soft kisses and starlight. I guess… romance. I want you to have romance before we…” God, I’m terrible at this.
Her hand presses harder into my chest. “That’s lovely, Wizard. You’re right. Slow is best.” She kisses me sweetly, right on the corner of my mouth.
“I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”
“Like you ever could.”
I close my eyes and try not to wreck myself. “I know that me loving you doesn’t magically change or fix everything. It’s not going to right all the wrongs in the world or erase all the hurts. I want to be realistic and keep myself grounded.”
“Oh my god.” Esme hugs me. Hard. She breathes raggedly against the shell of my ear while she crushes against me. “You’re such a good man. I have doubts, but you being anything other than the best human in the whole world isn’t one of them. We’ll get through.”
She kisses me, moving from the side of my mouth, over to my chin, back up to my lips.
She tastes my lips, taking her time like she’s sipping at them.
Her breath mingles with mine. I rake my hand through her hair and cradle her head, cupping it so gently, while my other hand splays over the small of her back, steadying her, holding onto her.
Her lips seal over mine, working slowly, but consuming me all the same.
I didn’t know that it could feel like this, all these different kisses, conveying so many things.
There’s still heat in this, but it’s more consuming with less hunger.
It feels more like Esme is reaching right down to my heart and soul and taking it in her hands.
I shudder against her.
“We’ll go slow. We’ll fall. Together.” She kisses my cheek and then my nose, and peppers kisses along my jaw.
“I already love you. It won’t be hard to tip the rest of the way into it.
You lead. I’ll follow. Show me how you want to be adored.
” She lifts her head. “Actually, no. I mean, yes, but I’ll take the first step.
” She backs off and gives me her hand. “Let’s do the security, then we can go for a walk and explore this place.
It’s so pretty out here. We can cook dinner together, and then have another fire, or whatever you’d like.
We can fall asleep in the same bed. Not to do anything.
Just you beside me and me beside you. We can wake up together as the start of something new.
” She blinks rapidly past eyes filling with moisture.
She sounded so confident and hopeful, but she still has questions in her eyes when she turns them up to mine. “Does that sound okay?”
My heart stutters, stops, and overflows. This time, I’m the one who tips her face up and kisses her. “It sounds perfect.”