Her eyes searched mine, wide and dark and shining.
My throat was too full with the taste of her, my head still spinning from the way she’d kissed me—like I was her last solid thing in a world slipping sideways.
Selene tugged gently, her palm warm against mine. I let her lead me through the door, the porch light buzzing faintly behind us as the night air clung to my skin.
And Christ—this woman. She didn’t even know what she was doing to me.
Her hand fit so naturally in mine, her thumb brushing absent circles over my knuckles as we stepped inside. The door clicked behind us, shutting out the world like it wasn’t even real anymore.
The house smelled faintly of her shampoo and vanilla candles. The hush was thick, intimate, broken only by the faint tick of the kitchen clock.
Selene stopped in the entryway. She turned toward me, her eyes shining in the glow from a lamp left on in the living room. Her lips were parted, still flushed from the kiss on the porch, and I couldn’t help myself.
I cupped her jaw, my thumb grazing the delicate curve of her cheekbone. Her skin was warm, and there was a flicker in her eyes—hunger, yes, but also something rawer. Something that made my heart twist.
“Selene,” I murmured. It wasn’t a question, not exactly, but it felt like one anyway.
Her hands slid up my chest, fisting lightly in the fabric of my shirt. “Shh ... don’t overthink it,” she whispered. “Just kiss me again.”
I couldn’t say no to her if I tried.
I kissed her like a starving man, my fingers tangling in her hair as she pressed against me, soft and insistent. She made a sound—quiet, desperate—that went straight to my gut.
I deepened the kiss, tasting passion and fear and wanting all at once. Her mouth was hot and pliant beneath mine, her hands tugging at my shirt like she needed me closer than skin.
My back hit the wall with a muted thud as she pushed me there, her body slotting against mine. I gripped her hips, holding her steady as her tongue slid against mine, sweet and urgent.
There was a fragility in her urgency that nearly undid me. She wasn’t kissing me for fun. She was kissing me like she was drowning and I was the only air left in her world.
And, fuck, if that understanding didn’t make my skin feel too tight.
I kissed her harder, one hand sliding down to her lower back, anchoring her against me.
“Selene,” I breathed between kisses, my forehead resting lightly against hers. “We don’t have to rush.”
But she shook her head, her fingers curling around my collar as she whispered, “Please don’t stop.”
That single, shaky plea burned through me.
“Okay,” I murmured against her mouth. “Okay, baby.”
Her hand caught mine again, tugging me toward the stairs. The movement wasn’t hurried—it was deliberate. Like she’d made up her mind and there was no going back.
And god help me, I was already gone.
Selene tugged me toward the stairs, her steps light on the creaking wood floor. I followed without hesitation, my pulse thrumming low and heavy in my throat.
The house felt too quiet, like the stillness was a living, breathing thing. The hum of the refrigerator. The faint tick of a wall clock. The whisper of fabric as her sweater brushed against my arm.
Halfway up the stairs, I saw the faint sliver of light spilling from under a door at the end of the hall. Winnie’s room.
Selene glanced back at me, her hazel eyes glassy in the dim light. Her lips parted, but no sound came. She didn’t need to say anything.
I understood.
We moved slower now. Careful. The air felt thick enough to drown in, charged with that precarious combination of want and restraint.
In the hallway, she stopped in front of her bedroom door. Her hand hesitated on the knob like she was weighing something—then she pushed it open and stepped inside, pulling me with her.
