"Staying up with you." I clarified and his eyes lit up almost at my reply and he gave me a smile that suggested he wasn't opposed to my offer.
"You don't have to." River countered plating his food and I sighed,
"Oh, but I will and I am." I grinned while scooting closer so I could see what was on his plate. "What's cooking Chef Kennedy?"
"Roasted portobello mushrooms." He disclosed grabbing a fork and knife,
"And what's the cheese-looking food in the salad?" I asked and he got a mischievous look in his perfect blue eyes,
"It'slikecheese." He told me and I grabbed his fork from him,
"So then it's cheese right?" I concluded picking at his plate and taking a bite out of it, it was safe to say that it was not cheese, "Notcheese."
"Vegans don't eat cheese, it has milk in it, therefore, it's an animal-based product." River laughed at my shocked expression,
"Then what is it?" I asked handing him his fork back,
"Tofu, I hope you've learned your lesson about eating other people's food without their permission," River commented taking a knife and fork and digging into his food.
I grabbed another fork from the cabinet and stole one of the mushrooms before taking it into my mouth, It was actually really good.
"Who knew rabbit food wasn't that bad?" I joked and he rolled his eyes,
"Anyone who's ever tried it." He replied running a hand through his silky dark hair, which was getting longer and he needed a haircut.
"You're not so bad when you're not being a total pain, River Kennedy." I sighed,
"I know." He simply replied, and then there was this beat of silence that said more than enough, it was a silence that said‘what now?’
It was a silence that said,I feel it and I know you do too so what are you going to do about it? It was a silence that saidI could feel the undeniable magnetic field of chemistry between us, I was scared he would leave or turn his gaze away from me like he always did when things got too intense but he didn't.
River moved like a phantom in the dead of night to the space between my legs, I took my bottom lip between my teeth to satisfy the need growing inside of me. At that moment River was fire and I was merely paper thin and I wanted him—noI was daring him to light me aflame. Something was different about the way he looked at me that night like he was battling with something deep inside of himself like he was about to commit the most unforgivable sin.
Togivein to me.
He reached for the ponytail of my braids and pulled them back slightly so my lips were tilted up to his, he leaned down and brushed his lips against mine, ever so slightly. He was teasing me, and two of us could play at that game. I trailed my fingertips down the arch of his back and he shivered under my touch, he swiped his tongue over my bottom lip and I let out a soft sigh.
"Armani." River mouthed silently at the sound that escaped my lips.
I dragged my nails down his back with one hand and ran my fingers through his hair with the other, remembering how he liked it when I did that the last time, I pulled at his hair and he shut his eyes letting out a low groan. This was a power struggle, he wanted to come out on top, but so did I, so I hesitated and that was my mistake. Because the second I did he opened his eyes, dark with desire and he pressed his lips back onto mine with full force and I gasped his name into his mouth,River.
His hands roamed my back and wandered beneath my t-shirt and he held my hips in place. I opened my mouth and he took full advantage of this, slipping his tongue into my mouth and exploring it intently. I wrapped my legs around his waist and he groaned in frustration slamming us both onto the kitchen counter, our kiss was fast, desperate and hungry. I wanted him and it was the best feeling in the world to know he wanted me too and just as bad. I reached beneath his shirt to explore the softness of his skin.
Just then he stopped taking his lips off of mine and I whimpered in frustration at the parting, he lowered my shirt again so it fell back over my belly. I sat up and I couldn’t help but think that maybe he regretted it, maybe he regretted me again?
But then he immediately saw the panic in my eyes and paused, placing a tentative kiss onto my forehead this time and stroking the back of my hair. I hadn’t quite realised before just how emotionally intelligent River was, maybe he hadn’t let anyone notice at all.
He turned away and made his way over to his room,
"Goodnight, Armani." He said and disappeared into his room.
I awoke to the sound of the autumn leaves being led astray by the wind, I turned beside me to see if Gene was awake but she wasn't there. I assumed that perhaps she was downstairs with the others until I saw the note she'd left on her pillow.
Gone hiking with the others, you were sleeping. Didn’t want to disturb you. Be back at 6PM.
-G
I sighed and looked at the time on my cell phone, it was twelve in the afternoon and I'd overslept staying up with River last night. I went into the bathroom to brush my teeth and Knowing I was home alone for the rest of the day, I threw on an oversized t-shirt and nothing else before heading downstairs to make breakfast.
