Page 118 of Rise Above

Rise Above

extremely endearing. Licking my lips, I gave Talon a nod. Of course he could kiss me.

Talon smiled before gently gripping the sides of my

face. He wet his lips with his tongue and bent down to my level. The kiss was gentle, not at all explosive. It was so tender and soft. Kisses were never like books or movies. While they could be extremely passionate, they weren’t mind blowing. At least, not in my opinion. But this kiss, as gentle and soft as it was, made me rethink my previous thoughts. His hands cupped my face, firm and warm. Our lips and tongues battled, twisting around each other, not needing air. My hands landed at the nape of his neck, fingers wrapped in his curls. The stubble along his jaw scratched my cheeks and chin, centering me to him.

“Wow,” I said when he pulled away. His hands

were still cupping my face.

Talon smiled brightly. “My thoughts exactly.”

252

Rise Above

CHAPTER 18: LOVE?

TALON

My lips still tingled from our kiss. It wasn’t the best

kiss I’d had, but it felt different because it was with Aife. Everything with Aife felt different. My hands remained on her face. Her beautiful eyes were slightly glazed over, and her lips were slightly parted. Aife looked stunning; she always did.

“Can I kiss you again?” This time I wanted less

gentleness and more passion.

“Oh god, yes,” Aife said before wrapping her arms

tightly around my neck.

253

Rise Above

I couldn’t help the smile that broke out on my face.

Was she feeling what I was? Our connection never felt stronger. I pecked a kiss to her nose and then lifted her onto my counter so I wouldn’t have to bend down so much. Aife wrapped her legs around my waist as her fingers dug into the curls at the nape of my neck. Her breasts pushed up against my chest, hardening me further.

This time she initiated the kiss, her lips connecting

with mine eagerly. It felt like our hands were everywhere: hair, hips, face. All I could smell and taste was Aife. Our tongues met, fighting for dominance. Mine won, easily tangling with hers. The kiss continued to intensify and soon we were both out of breath. I pulled away, breathing hard.

“Jesus, we should have done that sooner,” I said and

cupped her face again.

She hummed, smiling at me contentedly. I could tell

Aife was trying to find words. I couldn’t blame her for that; it was a miracle I could speak.

“Yeah, we really should have.” Aife placed a quick

peck to my lips. “Let’s get dressed. My head’s starting to hurt.”

Nodding, we both got dressed. Usually, this would