“You don’t have to say anything,” I say so softly that I hardly hear myself. “We have all the time in the world for that. Right now, you should rest.”
“I already got some rest.”
“Like, an hour.” I roll my eyes, and he smiles at that. “Why are you smiling at me like that?”
“Because you think you’re so intimidating.”
He pulls my shoulder down, so we’re lying nose to nose now, and he grabs my hip.
Oh my God, what am I doing? Can he see the way my hands are shaking?
“Don’t get all shy on me now. I think you’re cute, Sweet Cheeks.”
Crying out, I hide my face behind my sweaty hands. “Why do you call me that?”
Like the tease he is, he pries each individual finger off of my face, holding my hands prisoner in his fists. “I wish you could see yourself right now. You know why?”
I hum, trying to sound casual, but I’m afraid he sees past my act. With his attention focused on me and only me, I worry he can see the way my lungs only fill half full because it’s hard to breathe when he’s near. Or how my heart is break-dancing at two-point speed.
“Your cheeks are always a pretty shade of pink.” Freeing one of my hands, he trails a fingertip down my cheek.
I hold my breath, halting any new oxygen from entering my body.
He rasps, “But they’re flushed red right now. And don’t get me started on these lips.” He groans, tracing my bottom lip with a featherlight touch. “Vibrant like a red rose, soft and plump. Begging for mine to capture them with their own language.”
“You’re wrong.” I somehow find my voice. “My lips and the rest of my body are still giving you the cold shoulder.”
The look on his face speaks volumes. He thinks he knows me like the back of his hand. Which might have been true for old me, but now I’m not so sure.
“There is no fooling me. No part of your body is cold right now.”
Deep and raspy, in this moment, I truly realize the boy I once knew is now a very confident man. A man who’s looking at every inch of me like he’s survived living on a desert without food and water andI’mhis salvation.
“How do you figure?” I taunt, a tentative smile pulling at my lips.
“I’m only a man, Lily. I feel your body burning on mine. Whether you notice it or not, you haven’t stopped squirming or trembling once. And the erratic look in your eyes could melt ice.”
Dumbfounded, I take a deep breath before saying something out of pocket like,Shut up and kiss me right now.
“Do you want me to keep going?” Taking my silence as an invitation for more of whatever the heck we’re doing, hecontinues, “Something that drives me insane is how you steal the oxygen by just walking into the room. Flames dance all around you, alluring everyone into wanting to be the next person you catch on fire.”
His words, emotionally raw and rare, shoot mini fireworks in my heart, up my throat, and into the sky surrounding us. He’s so close; all I have to do is lean a bit forward, and the touch of his lips will be on mine—a feeling I’ve been craving since I was a little girl.
However, as soon as the fireworks appear, a SWAT team of the truth comes barreling in with guns and starts shooting around at all the color.
“Why are you saying all of this, Elijah?”
I pull away and rush out of his bunk, and he’s right on my tail.
“Lily, stop.” He grabs the back of my arm, twisting as I yank away from his hold.
“Don’t touch me.”
“Okay, I won’t, jeez.” Hands up in surrender, he pleads, “Please don’t run away from me. Let’s just talk this out.”
“That’s ironic.” I snort.
Maybe he’s right about what he said about the flames coming off my body because it feels like sparks are coming out of my eyes.
