Chapter Four
His lips linger on mine, longer than they should, yet he pulls back too soon.
The fluttery feeling inside me swells with the need to kiss him again.
My eyes meet his before I press our lips together again.
He inhales sharply before parting my lips with his.
This time, our kiss doesn't stay chaste for long. This time, our kiss is real.
Intimate.
My hands grasp at his waist as he brings me in closer, one hand still on my cheek and the other on the small of my back. His tongue teases me and I gasp, letting him in. I can barely wrap my head around the fact that Rhys, my best friend, is French kissing me, when I'm being backed into the door.
"Hadley," he whispers against my lips, "is this really happening?"
Rhys is as awestruck as I am, needing reassurance that he’s not just imagining things. Normally I’d pinch myself, but I can’t with his body pressed against mine. Not that I’d want to let go of him simply to verify what I already know.
With our noses brushing and our breath mingling, I manage to reply, "Yes, Rhys," before my lips meet his again.
To hell with all of the doubt. All the confusion. Every reason we shouldn't be doing this. Because this? It feels right. And why wouldn't it? Rhys is my best friend. He and I have always been in sync. It’s clear that he genuinely cares about me.
It’s also clear how attracted he is to me, based on what I’m feeling pressed against my stomach.
Holy hell. This really is happening, isn’t it?
We continue to kiss as Rhys lifts me up.
I wrap my legs around him, deepening the kiss.
I can taste the chocolate chip cookies he was eating only moments ago.
Damn, Rhys is a good kisser. I can’t believe I went this long without knowing this.
I can’t believe it’s happening now. I never want to stop.
Breaking the connection of our lips, he trails kisses across my cheek and down my jaw.
His breath is a tease as he brushes by my ear to press kisses down my neck.
My senses are on overload, yet I want more.
Which is made ever clearer by how I’m shamelessly rubbing against him.
I didn’t even realize it until Rhys moans, the low rumble reverberating against my neck before his lips crash into mine again.
He holds onto me tightly as he backs up until he sits on my couch, my legs straddling him.
Now, this isn’t the first time I’ve made out with someone on a couch.
It isn’t even the tenth time. But making out with Rhys on my couch is a whole different thing.
How many times have we sat on a couch alone together?
How many opportunities did we have all these years to do this?
Why are we only now giving in to these urges?
My heart is beating faster than I ever thought possible. There’s something stirring up from deep within me, and I want to explore it with him.
Without even thinking, I pull away from Rhys and take off my shirt.
He stares at me for a few seconds, then reaches down to remove his, too.
We’ve both seen each other at the beach and the pool in our bathing suits, so it isn’t like we haven’t witnessed this before.
Yet there’s something wholly different about seeing his bare chest when all I can think about is running my tongue all over his skin.
As his eyes take in my black lacy bra, it’s fair to say he’s thinking likewise.
My fingers dance over his pecs, then trail down to his abs, while his hands slide up my sides to the edge of my bra.
The feel of his gentle fingers against my skin turns me on in a way I hadn’t imagined possible.
Like electricity running through my veins.
I stare at him as though I’m seeing him for the first time.
All these years, I had no idea what was right in front of me.
Our eyes meet and I whisper, “Touch me.”
He complies, his hand covering my breast over the lace, squeezing gently.
I let out a shaky exhale. God, that feels good.
I need more. And I swear, the second I think that, it’s almost as though he’s reading my mind, because he leans forward to press his lips against the exposed part of my breasts.
I slide my bra strap off and he peels the fabric down, his mouth covering my nipple without hesitation.
My head falls back as he teases me with his mouth and his tongue.
When we kiss again, something changes. It’s no longer exploratory. It’s passionate, our desire for more. Hell, our desire for everything.
I want it all with Rhys.
He cradles my head, then carefully lays me down on the couch.
His hands tug at my pajama pants, removing them.
Then he takes off his sweatpants and climbs over me.
Our bodies meld together in a tangle of arms, legs, and lips.
Years of pent-up sexual tension pours out in our kisses.
I can’t get enough of him. I need more, so much more.
He reaches behind my back to unhook my bra, peeling it away and tossing it aside.
When our bare chests meet, I swear it sparks something primal inside of me.
The moan that escapes my lips triggers something in Rhys, because the next thing I know his hand is sliding under the elastic of my underwear.
His fingers easily slip between my folds from the dampness that has been building since our lips met under the mistletoe.
As soon as he reaches my sensitive nub, my nerve endings light up in the most unexpected way, eliciting a gasp out of me.
Rhys leans in, his lips against my neck, as he swirls his fingers over my clit.
He teases me over and over again, learning what to do to send me over the edge.
I grip his shoulders when he finds it, and he continues to fuel my frantic need.
The pleasure increases as he coaxes out my orgasm.
I cry out his name, trembling beneath him.
Bringing his face back to mine, I kiss him hard, almost roughly.
He grinds into me, matching my energy. It’s another tease, but somehow it feels like I’m the one teasing him this time.
I tug at his boxers and he gets the hint, getting up to pull them off.
His cock juts out at me in all its glory.
Sucking in a breath, I stare at him as he slowly moves his hand over it.
I take off my panties in a hurry, needing to feel him inside of me.
When he returns to me, we’re skin on skin, everywhere. Tingles begin to spread over my body in anticipation of what is to come. He is about to line himself up to me, when he stops and says, “Condom.”
Damn it. Where do I have… “My purse,” I reply, pointing toward my entryway table.
He’s off me and digging through my purse in a flash.
Procuring the condom, he rips it open and slides it on.
Then he’s back, poised over me, his hard length at my entrance.
He looks into my eyes, silently requesting an answer, which I give with a nod.
With one sure thrust, he enters me, both of us moaning at the same time.
Wow. Just… wow.
His brown eyes gaze into mine, his hand cupping my cheek.
With a soft kiss, he pulls himself back and pushes all the way back in.
Those tingles become even more powerful as we move together.
He holds my hip with one hand, the other around my back.
My hands are running up and down his back, squeezing him when he hits the right spot.
Every touch between us is more thrilling than the last.
I can’t believe that I’m experiencing this with Rhys. It’s amazing and I don’t want it to stop. There’s so much passion and tenderness. It’s beyond my wildest dreams.
Who knew that it could be like this?
As the pace increases, I feel that sensation bubbling up again. The exquisite craving that needs to be satisfied. It’s almost too much.
“Rhys… Rhys, I need,” I pant, my nails digging into his skin as I try to bring him even closer.
“I know what you need, Hadley,” he rasps against my skin.
Reaching between us, he presses his thumb to my clit and I come undone underneath him with a keening cry. When I clench around his cock, he follows me with his own release, letting out a long moan.
In the minutes that pass as the two of us catch our breath, a million thoughts are spinning through my head. The first is Holy shit, that was the best sex I’ve ever had. The second is Holy shit, I just had sex with my best friend.
The last one? Holy shit, we’ve crossed a line we can’t uncross.
Despite all of this, I can’t deny how amazing it feels to be tangled up completely naked with Rhys on my couch. Especially when he starts to press soft kisses all over my face, ending with a tender kiss on my lips.
The sweetness of it makes me smile against his lips. “Rhys?”
“Yes?” he murmurs, nuzzling my nose.
Deep down, I know that what I’m about to say isn’t going to be the smartest suggestion. However, I can’t help myself. “Can we do that again?”
With a light chuckle, he replies, “Absolutely.”