‘I’m not sick.’
‘I know, but … you know.’ She turned ever so slowly to face him. She could feel the warmth from his body through her cotton pyjamas.
‘I know,’ he whispered back, his eyes wide and lips so close to hers. Too close.
Olivia went to move her face away when she felt his hand on her cheek.
‘Please don’t.’
‘What?’
‘Don’t do that. Don’t look away.’
Every inch of her skin started to tingle, her whole body lighting up like a switchboard.
‘Olivia?’
‘Yes?’
‘Can I …’ He dropped his gaze momentarily.
Her heart was in her mouth.
‘Yes?’
‘Can I kiss you?’
Before he’d even finished the sentence, Olivia had pulled him to her, wrapped her arms around him tightly and kissedhim. Jacob groaned in response, running his hands through her hair and down along her spine. Her back arched in response, her kisses becoming harder and hungrier.
‘Olivia.’ He spoke her name into her mouth. ‘Oh, Olivia.’
She kept her eyes closed, allowing her other senses to experience him. The feel of his hands tracing every curve of her body. The scent of his skin as it grew hotter and flushed; deep, smoky wood and a rich, warming spice. The cold taste of mint and salt on his lips. Every part of her wanted to feel every single part of him, until there was nothing left to separate them. She deepened her kisses, the longing inside her building to an unbearable level. After all this time, after everything they’d been through, here they were at last.
‘Look at you,’ he whispered, pulling her on top of him.
‘Don’t,’ she begged shyly, trying to cover her face with her hands.
‘Why?’ He reached up to meet her. ‘You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.’
Olivia pushed him back down, unable to take the intensity of his stare.
‘Thank you,’ she whispered, feeling his hand grip her thighs hard.
‘For what?’
‘Surprising me here.’
‘It’s been my pleasure.’
‘But not just that,’ she continued, babbling away as the intensity of the moment started to overwhelm her. ‘Taking me to the beach … getting me to go in the sea.’
Why was she talking? Why had she not stopped talking?
‘Even the bike was kind of fun in the end – apart from, you know …’ Her brain was screaming at her to stop, to immediately close her mouth and focus on the kisses Jacobwas planting delicately along her jaw line. Tiny, soft, incredibly tender kisses. ‘I guess I spend so much time in my head that sometimes I find it hard not to overthink things.’
‘Olivia.’ He stopped what he was doing immediately.
‘Yes?’
