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As I straighten, my gaze falls on her lips, and I can’t look away. The heat that’s settled in my lower abdomen burns hotter and stronger. I bring my face to hers and kiss her gently, savoring every brush of our lips and the tangling of our tongues. She tastes like hot chocolate, and, combined with her scent, it’s like the sweetest poison.
When she sneaks her hands under my tee, caressing my abs in slow strokes, my cock hardens. God, I want this so much. I want her so much. This intensity is unfamiliar, almost overwhelming. I’ve fooled around before, but this? This is one hundred times more intense.
It’s like standing on the edge of a cliff and knowing there’s no going back, like getting ready for a freefall that will change my life forever.
I pull back, my forehead resting against hers.
“There’s something you should know,” I say between shallow breaths.
“That doesn’t sound ominous at all.” She giggles.
“I’m serious.” I huff, squeezing my eyes shut. With a steadying inhale, I force myself to look at her. “I haven’t…I haven’t slept with anyone. Ever.”
Her mouth drops open, and she blinks rapidly, pulling away and rubbing her collarbone.
“But you…” She frowns, attention darting around like she’s racking her brain for the right words. “You went down on me yesterday, and you”—her cheeks flush a bright red—“you knew what you were doing…”
I chuckle despite the goose bumps running all over my skin. “I’ve done other stuff. I’m not clueless. But actual sex?” I shrug. “It never felt right. I never wanted it enough.”
“Why?”
Because I only ever wanted it with you.
The answer hits me so hard, it almost knocks the breath out of me. I swallow around the lump forming in my throat. “I guess I wanted it to mean something. I grew up surrounded by people who really loved one another. I witnessed what a real relationship looks like. And every time I got close to crossing that line with someone, it felt…wrong. Like I was forcing myself into a moment I didn’t belong in.”
Isla shifts, putting a little space between us but facing me head-on. Then, she presses her hand over my heart. “And how does it feel now?”
“It feels right. This is exactly how it should’ve been.”
She bites her bottom lip, trying to suppress her smile. “You realize what you’re telling me is the exact opposite of what everyone thinks about you, right?”
“So many people have something to say about me while they know absolutely nothing about who I am. Sadly, that’s the story of my life.”
Silently, she assesses me, her focus drifting over every inch of my face. Then, an open smile breaks over her lips, disarming me completely. She cups my cheek, her thumb caressing my skin. “I can’t actually believe it’s happening. That we still ended up on the same page…despite everything.”
A fluttering feeling in my stomach sends a thrill down my spine. “What do you mean?”
“I’ve never slept with anyone before either.” She bites her bottom lip, looking at me from under her lashes. “I did other stuff, but I never went all the way. I wasn’t ready.”
“And now?” My voice cracks.
“I want you.”
“Are you sure?” I ask, even though every part of me is screaming Yes.
She nods.
I rear back, grab the hem of my tee, and pull it over my head. She homes in on me, her gaze slowly drifting down my throat, my chest, my arms.
“You have so many tattoos.” With her bottom lip caught between her teeth, she takes off her T-shirt, leaving her in a black sports bra. “Will you tell me about them?”
“Not tonight,” I say hoarsely, watching her get rid of her shorts.
“Definitely not tonight.” She nods at the headboard. “Can you move up there?”
Nearly stumbling to free myself, I slip out of my sweatpants. Then, I hop back onto the bed and sit with my back pressed to the headboard. My heart is going absolutely ballistic inside my chest, and I’m pretty sure the heat radiating from me could set the whole room on fire.
At the end of the bed, Isla gets on all fours, giving me a peek of her cleavage beneath her sports bra. She crawls to me, her eyes never leaving mine, and settles between my legs, then leans in and brushes her nose over mine.
