Chapter 7
Chapter Seven
JOSIE
The hot shock of Tate’s lips against mine was a startling contrast to the cold air outside. I heard a little whimper in my throat. I didn’t even recognize who I was at this moment. My thoughts had gone up in smoke. All I wanted was Tate.
I could feel the rapid kick of his heartbeat against my palm. I could also feel the hard-muscled planes of his chest, another contrast to my own softness.
None of this made sense. I’d never in my life thought Tate was sexy. I just hadn’t ever looked at him like that. Yet, right now, the physical draw to him was more intense than any attraction I had ever experienced. It was magnetic, the force sizzling and powerful.
His hand slid into my hair as he angled my head to the side, fully fitting his mouth over mine. My lips parted, and my knees buckled at the way he took command of our kiss, his tongue sweeping into my mouth and gliding against mine.
I had no idea, none at all, how long that kiss lasted. It felt as if he was taking sips from me while I breathed him in and our tongues tangled.
He kissed with the absolute perfect combination of command and gentleness. My entire body felt alive, goose bumps drawing tight on my skin and need rushing through me like a river.
When we finally broke apart, I sucked in a deep gulp of cool air as the snow fell around us. I looked up, and the snowflakes were illuminated by the lights outside, glittering like the sparks inside my body.
“Josie,” he rasped. His hand in my hair loosened slightly.
I could hear the rush of blood in my ears with my heart beating so fast I couldn’t catch my breath. “Tate…” That was all I could whisper in return.
Roughly an hour later, I lay in bed staring at the ceiling. My mind was spinning, playing that kiss over and over. My thoughts felt like they were riding a bike without brakes. I could not stop thinking about Tate.
After I somehow stepped away from him and fumbled my way inside, blurting out a good night before closing the door, I walked on wobbly knees into the house, grateful for the couch I collapsed onto.
I managed to pull myself together after a few minutes.
I put my bags in the bedroom and took a shower.
Spending the first night in a new place was always a little strange.
It felt sort of like a hotel, but not really.
I’d hoped the shower would ground me and get my body to reset from nearly going up in flames with that kiss.
The shower had done nothing to cool the heat inside. I was still restless and hot and bothered. I shifted my legs under the sheets. My skin was hypersensitive, and my nerves felt like they were on fire. Every subtle motion sent electricity sizzling through me.
The only thing spinning through my thoughts when I slid a hand down over my belly to dip between my thighs was Tate. His name was a ragged whisper on my lips when the pleasure crashed through me moments later.
In the short span of twenty-four hours, I’d gone from never once thinking of Tate in a sexual way to experiencing the single hottest kiss of my life and climaxing on my own fingers with his name on my lips.