I hid my smile against his shoulder and slipped my arms around his neck, as he kept swaying us around his living room. I was much stiffer in his arms than I’d been out of them. Telling myself to relax didn’t seem to work, either.Relax, for crying out loud!
“So you decided to use the words I offered you instead?” I asked. Stunning. Beautiful. Gorgeous. I’d laid them all out for him.
“How about breathtaking?” he suggested. “Because you’re that, too.”
I raised my head from his chest and met Luke’s eyes. They glinted happily.
“Absolutely magnificent,” he continued.
I blushed. Good thing red seemed to be his favourite colour. “Now who’s not trying to flatter me?”
“It’s the truth, Haylee.”
“I’m starting to feel like I don’t give you enough compliments,” I muttered.
“You compliment me every time you grace me with your smile.”
My lips did just that at his words, and his eyes shone brighter.
The song changed again, replacing a soft tune with something more upbeat, but instead of matching our swaying to the new tempo, Luke stopped.
“I hope this is spontaneous enough, Haylee, because I am going to kiss you now.”
My stomach somersaulted, but I couldn’t otherwise react to his words as he leaned in and softly brushed his lips against mine. My heart thundered so loudly I could barely focus, but I didn’t want to miss this.
I inhaled sharply, trying to calm my nerves while Luke’s mouth lingered just a breath away from mine. One of his hands left its position on the small of my back and threaded into my hair. If he was waiting for me to pull away he’d be waiting a long time. I wasn’t going to.
“Then kiss me,” I whispered against his lips.
That was all the encouragement Luke needed. He captured my mouth more firmly than the initial brush, all the while pulling me closer. Soft but insisting, his mouth overpowered me, and I melted against his chest, letting the sensations become my entire world.
I held onto his shoulders for dear life as he became my music and our lips danced their own secret choreography.
“Haylee,” he groaned before kissing me again, capturing my lower lip between his teeth and tugging gently. “Seven years, beautiful. I would wait seven years for this.”
I couldn’t respond even if I tried when he deepened the kiss. All I could do was moan and hang onto his lips, like they were going to save me if I was to fall. I barely even registered moving until my heels hit the sofa, and he lowered me on it, not pulling away from my lips for even a second.
His weight hovered over mine, and his mouth was reassuring and soft, but the moment I registered that I was now lying under him and wouldn’t be able to get out if I wanted to—not that I wanted to—the entire moment tasted entirely different. My heart didn’t only thunder; it roared and bucked in my chest. I didn’t only grip his shoulders but tug my nails into them as my body prepared for a fight it had no reason to expect. My head swam and swarmed with memories I’d much rather keep confined.
Stay in the moment, Haylee.It was harder said than done when I felt Luke’s erection through our clothes rubbing against my lower stomach. I couldn’t control my reaction even if I tried. I froze.
I’m not sure how long it took for him to realise I was no longer into it, but when I opened my eyes a while later, he was looking down at me with his hooded eyes marred by a creased brow.
“I’m sorry,” I croaked. “It’s okay.”
I tried to prove it to him by pulling him back for a kiss and awkwardly nibbled at his lips. His eyes did not leave mine as he let me make a fool of myself with that pathetic attempt.
“What scares you?” he asked gently.
I slumped against the pillows, squeezing my eyes shut. That most definitely didn’t count as staying in the moment.
“I’m not scared,” I denied.
He didn’t buy it for a second. “Do you feel confined, Red Cheeks? Because that’s an easy fix.”
Without waiting for my answer, he wrapped his arms around me before rolling over, pulling me with him. I ended up on top of him, pushing him against the pillows that had pressed against my back just moments earlier.
My breath hitched as his unmistakable bulge now rested more prominently against my stomach. I wasn’t able to move, even as Luke’s arms around me loosened and lowered to rest on my hips.
