I blinked, forcing his face into focus. “Please get off.”
Herolled away immediately, sitting up beside me. “Yeah, of course. What’s wrong? What happened?”
Shaking my head, I tried to take a few deep breaths. It was something Christina and I had discussed in our last session—different breathing exercises to regulate my nervous system when my brain felt threatened.
“It’s okay, baby. I’m right here. Take your time.”
Always so fucking sweet. Always so caring. Crescent fucking Miller, the caregiver, no matter what. It took a few more deep breaths to remind me—or maybe my body—that I was safe. Safe and secure, right by Crescent. “I’m okay. Just… being on top of me like that kind of freaked me out.”
He slid down, lying fully on his side now. I turned over to look directly at him, sharing space with him. “Okay, good to know. I won’t do that again unless you tell me to.”
“Yeah, that sounds good.” I sighed, taking him in. It was always so crazy to think about how he used to look when we were kids and teenagers. I loved that he kept his hair long, staying true to who he was. Kids used to say stuff when we were younger, but he never let it get to him.
He was truly one of the most handsome men I’d ever met. Seeing him grown up, instead of growing up with him, was painful in some ways. But in others, it was beautiful.
I closed my eyes as he swept his fingers along my face, swiping his thumb against my cheekbone. “I’m sorry, Sunshine.”
“No, don’t make it weird. I don’t want it to be weird.”
“It isn’t weird.”
“Okay, then kiss me.”
“El…”
Shaking my head, I leaned up on my elbow. “No, don’t ‘El’ me. Just kiss me. Kiss me like you’ve always wanted to.”
I watched as his eyes widened, then relaxed. He seemedto think about it for a second before meeting me halfway, doing exactly what I’d told him to.
Fire scorched my skin, seeping into every crack and divot, yet it soothed my very fucking soul. Was that even possible? I took him, soaked him in, like it was the last thing I’d ever do in my life. If I died today, I’d die happy and fulfilled with the taste of Crescent on my tongue.
Lifting my head a bit, I huffed a short laugh at the way he tried to follow me. “Can I get on you instead?”
The bed actually shook with how vigorously he nodded his head. “Yes. Yes, please. If you’re comfortable with that.”
“Don’t make it weird, Cres.” I threw my leg over him, mirroring what he’d done to me earlier.
Feeling him underneath me and staring down at him instead of up was almost empowering. It felt right and natural. It felt like being on top of the world, looking over the largest mountain, and realizing I had everything I ever could’ve wanted. I fuckinglovedit. There was nothing to be afraid of and nothing to feel embarrassed about, because right there, straddling Crescent, I was fucking beautiful, just like he’d said earlier.
Leaning into my newfound confidence, I shifted on top of him, moving my hips forward, only to whimper when my cock brushed against his beneath our pajamas. “Holy fuck.” I tried to whisper, but by the look on Crescent’s face, I’d said it louder than I meant to.
He cleared his throat from beneath me, looking away. “Yeah, sorry. Just kissing you seems to get me all worked up.”
No matter how weird it might’ve been, I couldn’t take my eyes off the erection tenting in his pants. “Fuck, I can’t believe that’s from me.”
“Kiss me, Sunshine.”
I leaned down, giving him everything—every part of meI could. I spilled all of my confusing thoughts and feelings into our kiss, hoping he could feel just how right it was. How delighted our souls were now that we were coming together.
He bucked his hips a little, pushing himself into me. That was all it took, all the permission I needed to push back. We moved our bodies in sync, moaning, groaning, and pleading in tandem.
A bouquet of daisies, all in different colors, bloomed across my skin. They fell around us, creating a field just for us to exist in, making space in the world that only we belonged in. A beautiful landscape, perfect for painting.
Perfect for us. Becausewewere perfect.
We weren’t kissing so much as panting against each other’s lips, sharing the air and space between us. When I rolled my hips, he rolled his back, stroking us through our pajamas, the friction building and building, leaving us wordless. Thoughtless. Numb to the outside world.
A warm, comforting pressure gripped my cock, pushing me to the edge. “Cres,” I whimpered.
