Chapter 26
Kissing him again after all these years felt like winter’s first snowfall: the return of all that magic and wonder and awe.
It was even better than she remembered. She had wanted to kiss him all night. She had wanted to kiss him for weeks, if she was being honest, maybe even for years, ever since that first time when they were bright-eyed university students.
His hands moved down to her bare shoulders, skirting down her arms to hold onto her waist, pulling her closer. Everywhere he touched her felt lit with flames, and she moved her hands up his chest, to hold onto his shoulders as he kissed her slow and sweet.
It felt as if she had never been kissed before, not like this, like she was someone to be revered, someone to be savored. Her chest ached; her heart so full it felt like it would burst.
He pulled away, and they both caught their breath, foreheads pressed together.
“I’ve wanted to do that forever,” he said, voice rough. He pulled back to gaze into her eyes, searching.
“Me too,” she admitted.
He gave her a grin that was full of such simple joy that her heart swelled. She liked making him happy.
He pulled her in for another kiss and she slid a hand from his shoulder into his hair, twisting the tendrils around her fingers. He deepened the kiss, opening her mouth against his as the kiss went from slow and sweet to frenzied and passionate, as if the floodgates of their desire had opened.
They had both wanted this for so long, and they were making up for lost time.
He kissed her harder, lips bruising against hers, but it wasn’t enough, not nearly enough.
She tugged his hair, holding him closer.
He released a desperate groan deep in his throat, the sound vibrating through her, sending every single one of her nerves aflame.
She gasped, and he kissed her cheek, her jaw, his lips trailing lower. There was a slight stubble on his face late at night, and it scratched against her skin in a way that made her feel weak in the knees. She made a strangled sound as he kissed her throat.
Her pulse raced against his lips, and he clutched her closer, fingers pressing into her skin as their hips aligned. Heat pooled low in her belly, and he kissed her collar, sucking at her skin, every touch scorching.
She brought his mouth back to hers, kissing him hungrily.
He slipped his hands under her dress, and even through the material of her stockings, she felt his large hands searing into her.
She ached for more as his hands went higher, over the curve of her hips to her waistband, fingers skimming the bare skin of her stomach.
In a quick movement, he lifted her up, and she wrapped her legs around his waist. She bit his lower lip, and he held her closer against him.
He walked them back until she was pressed against the wall. Her vision sparked. She clutched his hair tighter, their tongues clashing as they both lost themselves in a haze of desire.
Time slipped away—it could have been minutes, it could have been hours. She had no sense of anything except for him.
Until her phone rang.
Slowly, they broke apart, both of them breathing hard. He met her gaze, and at the same time, they both grinned, exuberant from the taste and feel of one another.
He let her down, and her phone continued to ring. She let it, instead looking up at him. She touched his cheek, her heart filled with such emotion that she felt at a loss for words. He held her hand, turning his cheek to kiss her palm. The phone began ringing again.
“You should get that,” he said.
“I should.”
But she couldn’t tear herself away from him. He smiled as if he knew. With gentle hands, he tugged her dress down from where it had gathered over her hips. His hands lingered, and she went on her tiptoes, wrapping her arms around his neck.
She felt the way she had after her first dragon ride: exhilarated, and as if things would never be the same again. It was the beginning of something new and life-changing, and she couldn’t wait to see all that would unfold.
Her phone rang again, and she disentangled herself for long enough to grab it, but by then, it had stopped ringing. She saw it had been Millie.
“She probably just wants to wish me a happy birthday,” she said, texting Millie that she would call her soon. Millie sent a thumbs-up. Emmeline released a long breath, turning to Luke crooked over her shoulder as he hugged her from behind. “I should probably get back.”
“Okay,” he replied, but he turned her around, pulling her in for another kiss. She smiled against his mouth, kissing him back, little sparks of pleasure spreading through her and making her feel buoyant.
“I had a really great time,” she said, pulling away. “Thank you, for everything.”
“’Course,” he replied easily, as if he hadn’t done anything at all. But he had, and it meant so much to her. He meant so much to her, a fact that was impossible to ignore now, when her lips were still warm from the heat of his.
As he walked her to the door, she already wanted to see him again. Saphira had called earlier to invite her for brunch at the Baby Dragon Cafe to celebrate her birthday, and before Emmeline could think about it too much, she found herself inviting Luke to join her.
His face brightened. “I’d love that,” he said. “I’ll be there.”
After a final kiss goodbye, Emmeline called Torch and headed home. Even after dismounting, she felt like she was flying, gliding through the air. She bounced through her house, heading for her bedroom, where she fell back on her bed with a sigh.
She couldn’t believe that had happened, but at the same time, it had felt inevitable, and now, she was only relieved. Touching a finger to her lips, she smiled.
Then, she grabbed her phone, calling her sister.
“Happy birthday!” Millie said, picking up immediately. While her room was dark, her face lit up from the phone screen. Emmeline saw Eve feeding in Millie’s lap.
She laughed. “You haven’t wished me at midnight for years.”
“Because my bedtime is ten p.m.,” she said. “I’m awake because of Eve, otherwise I’d be passed out.” She was cut off by a loud snore in the background, and her eyes twitched. “I’m two seconds away from smothering him in his sleep.”
“Why don’t we refrain from the murderous impulses today?” she said. “I’ve got news.”
Millie gasped. “I saw you two days ago! You’re hardly an hour into being thirty and you already have news? Tell me.”
Emmeline gave a quick account of her date, ending with the kiss. Millie let out a squeal—well, more like a shriek. The snoring in the background promptly stopped.
“What-what is it?” Liam asked, panicked. Half of him came into view as he looked Millie over, searching for signs of injury.
“Emmy and Luke finally kissed!” she told him. He let out a long breath.
“That’s great, sweetie,” he said, relaxing. “Let’s go back to sleep.”
Millie gave him a dirty look. “Why don’t you breastfeed your daughter and I’ll go back to sleep?” There was no response from Liam. “That’s what I thought. Now sh.”
He flopped out of view, going back to sleep, Emmeline guessed, though luckily without such loud snoring.
Millie focused back on her sister. “I need every single detail. Right now. You know, sometimes while feeding I listen to podcasts about how to be a better mother, but I realize now I should just call you for entertainment instead.”
Emmeline laughed, then went into detail about the entire day.
She got off her bed and took her phone to the bathroom, setting it by the sink as she washed her makeup off and did her skincare routine, easily chatting with her sister as she did so.
She felt like they were in school again, sharing a bathroom and catching up on the day as they got ready for bed.
It was another hour before she hung up and got into bed and, even though she was tired, she felt too excited to fall asleep. She kept grinning to herself, feeling fizzy.