Sarah’s eyes widened for a split second before she seemed to plaster on a smile. It seemed to take her by surprise, which only served to confuse me. “Really? Where at?”
“There’s a place here in town. Crescent found a therapist with openings for me there.”
“Oh. Well, that’s great! I’m glad.” Her entire demeanor changed, a grand, toothy grin taking over her entire face. “Which building is it? Maybe I can recommend it to one of my friends. I’ve been telling her to see someone for a while now.”
“Sacred Heights Therapy and Counseling. It’s not too far from here.”
“Thanks, I’ll let her know about that.” Sarah pulled her phone out, typing something at the speed of light. “So, what are we watching today?”
Crescent turned the TV on, pulling up the guide for what was live. Both he and Sarah mulled over the choices, finally agreeing on some sort of baking competition.
I, on the other hand, stayed silent, watching the world go by around me. I thought about a hundred things, yet nothing at the same time. My session with Christina, different ideas for a painting, and just how nice it would be later to kiss Crescent on the lips, cuddle beneath the blankets, and drift off into a land of comfort.
Yeah, the experiences in my life had fucking sucked. But how lucky was I to find something so good and so pure?
Chapter Twenty-Four
I never realized justhow much I liked having a gentle hand on my cheek until Crescent started doing it every time we kissed. His palms were always so warm and welcoming, compared to the harsh opposite I was used to.
Our lips hadn’t touched yet, but his forehead was against mine, and we were so close I could feel the warmth of his breath. “Morning, Sunshine.”
Smiling, I leaned into him more and let out a content hum. “Mmm, morning.”
I closed my eyes just as he did his as we moved together, following a path laid before us by forces unseen. When Crescent kissed me, I could feel every thought and emotion hiding in his body. Every time he’d shrugged when asked if he’d thought about dating. Every memory of him looking at me with something more in his eyes, though I didn’t think either of us understood what it was.
Shared disbelief in a world where we couldn’t imagine life without each other. How long had I ignored the signs he’d given me? How long had I hidden beneath the shield of ignorance?
How long had Crescent wanted more, and did he even know that’s what it was?
Crescent’s hand pulled me forward—just a tug with the slightest bit of pressure. I followed him, deepening the connection between us, our lips seeking each other out like they’d been starved for years.
His tongue swept across my bottom lip. The back of my tongue started to go numb, tingles spreading down my throat, following a path all the way down to my gut. It was overwhelming, like excitement in its highest form. I gasped through it, letting his tongue slip past my lips, sweeping mine against his.
A deep groan rumbled from his throat.Fuck.Was I making him do that? Was that noise because of me? I inched closer to him, pressing our sideways bodies together as much as possible. There was barely any space between us, yet it wasn’t enough. I didn’t think it’d ever be enough. Every inch of my skin felt awake, alert, and alive for the first time in so long. I’d forgotten I could feel that way.
His existence had my heart pounding in my chest, his lips a story I wanted to read with my tongue, his hands a light I wanted to follow through the deep, dark depths of the world.
We were slow at first, languidly building to a symphony created just for us. That was, until our chests got too tight and full of need, my fingertips vibrating with the ache to feel, touch, and hold. We held onto each other for dear life, our lips barely parting for breath as Crescent nudged me onto my back.
Hair curtained me on either side of my face as heleaned over me, the strands tickling my skin. I reached up, cupping the back of his neck. I hadn’t realized that I was subconsciously pulling him closer, but the pressure on my lips had changed, and our tongues had followed, too.
One of his legs moved between mine, his upper thigh pressing into me. I was wearing a pair of new pajama pants, which did nothing to hide just how hard I’d gotten.
I groaned, rubbing myself against him slightly. It was like I’d lost control of my body, and it was moving on its own. We pulled away for a second, just enough for Crescent to lean his forehead against mine, both of us panting together. “Fuck, Sunshine. You’re so goddamn beautiful.”
Heat simmered across my cheeks. “I can’t believe you’re here, Cres.”
“I’m here, baby. Right…” He pressed a quick kiss to my nose. “Here.” Another to my lips.
We lost ourselves again. Time passed by in an array of colors, some of which I wasn’t sure even existed. My hips rocked against Crescent’s thigh, faster and with more purpose each time, the pleasure all but foreign to me at this point.
His leg lifted, moving to straddle my hips. He took a moment to settle, his ass sitting right below my crotch.
The weight of him did something to me. It made me pause—it made everything pause. My lips stopped responding to him just as all of my muscles tightened and darkness struggled its way into my chest.
For a moment, all I could think about was Jude. The final night I had with him. The way he’d gotten on top of me just like this, though it had been to give him leverage for a rain of punches to my face.
“Sunshine?” Crescent had pulled back, his eyes flicking over my face.
