We were still several feet away from each other. But he didn’t approach me. I felt my stomach twist further into knots. He couldn’t turn me away. I needed him. I loved him.
“Miller…” my voice cracked.
And it was like he snapped out of his daze. “Brooklyn?”
I didn’t respond. I just ran down to him, closing the distance between us. And I lunged into his arms.
He caught me, grabbing my ass as my legs straddled his waist.
We both just stared at each other as he held me. Like this was some kind of dream. And I knew it then. That he’d dreamed of this too. That he’d ached for me too. That he needed me too. He didn’t need to say it.
But I had a million things I needed to say to him. Right now there was only one thing I needed him to know though. “I’m not pissed off at the world anymore.” I stared into his eyes. “You’re not a substitute for what I really want. You are what I really want. You’re my first choice. And I’m asking you to kiss me.”
His eyes gravitated to my lips and then back to my eyes. “I’m dreaming.”
I smiled. “No. I love you and only you, Miller. I’m in love with you…”
He silenced me with a kiss. And it wasn’t at all how I remembered his kisses to be. It was like he was devouring me. I had no idea if it was because I hadn’t been kissed in over a year. Or if because his feelings had grown too. But these weren’t sweet lazy kisses in the middle of the night. He kissed me like he was starving for me. And I kissed him back the same way. Because I’d been dying to kiss him for longer than I should have been. Back at the beach house. Last Christmas morning. I’d wanted him then. I’d always wanted him.
My fingers slid to the back of his neck as I deepened the kiss. I accidentally bit down on his lower lip as my teeth chattered in the cold. I needed more of his lips. More of his tongue. More everything.
“You’re soaked,” he said and lifted his mouth from mine way too soon. “Why aren’t you wearing a coat?”
I didn’t want to talk about where I’d been. I just wanted him to kiss me again. I pulled his face back down to mine and he groaned in my mouth.
He started carrying me somewhere, but I wasn’t paying attention. All I knew was that I needed more. I didn’t want to ever stop kissing him. Holding him. Feeling his hands on me.
Suddenly I wasn’t shivering anymore. I heard him kick the door closed with his foot, but I didn’t stop kissing him.
He leaned forward, lowering us down onto the couch. And then his lips fell from mine.
“I’ll find you a change of clothes,” he said. “Give me a sec.”
Before I could protest, he was walking out of the room.
My hoodie was heavy from the wet snow. I pulled it off over my head and dropped it on the floor. My tank top underneath was soaked too.
I looked at the hallway Miller had disappeared down.
I’d only ever slept with one boy. I’d made the wrong choice last year. And it was about time I fixed that. I wanted to forget all the pain. I needed him to help me forget. And I’d dreamt so much of having Miller that I knew I couldn’t wait another second. I was sick of dreaming. I wanted him.
I pulled off my wet tank top, kicked off my shoes, and somehow managed to peel my soaked jeans down my thighs. I was standing in the middle of his living room in just my underwear.
It was forward.
I swallowed hard.
It’s what I wanted.Him.I’d been dreaming of another Christmas with him. Another Christmas just like this. Where we spent the day tangled up together. I moved to stand in front of the fireplace. The warmth from the flames drew me even closer.
“Brooklyn?”
I turned around to face him.
His eyes traveled down to the tops of my exposed cleavage and down to the lace of my panties. His Adam’s apple rose and then fell. “There’s a bathroom at the end of the hall.”
I took a step toward him and took the clothes out of his hand. “I have a better idea.” I dropped the clothes on the floor and draped my hands behind his neck.
“You’re still shivering.” His hands settled on my hips.
