“Tea,” I mumble, and his chuckle is all air that puffs over my head.
“I’m glad you liked it.”
For a long moment, we stay like that. My wet face pressed into his pec, his fingertips dancing just below the knob of my spine.
And when I pull back, his hands slide to my shoulders, mine to his sides.
“Tristen.”
“Yeah, bub?” he whispers back, his eyes locked on mine. They’re shining but clear and so, so brown.
“Will you kiss me?”
His nostrils flare and his thumb swipes beneath my nose.
“There he is.”
I don’t think to ask him what he means before he leans in close enough to feather his lips over mine.
My stomach swoops, and I press harder against him.
A sound that I feel in my hands radiates from him and I gasp.
He leans back quicker than I realize, and I catch myself on his hips.
My sight lands on his nipple, peaked and pink, and I catch my breath.
“Was that … okay?”
His finger finds my chin and lifts my gaze to his rosy cheeks and grinning lips. “Always.”
Chapter 44
Tristen
My emotions are swirlingaround in a blender when the dinner bell—well,breakfastin this case—rings and makes both of us jolt.
Emmett’s eyes flare wide, his grip on my hips tightening.
Fuck, I like that.
“It’s okay, bub.” While this bell is not nearly as obnoxious as the tone, it’s still, well,obnoxious.“It’s just the dinner bell.”
The drop of his shoulders from his ears makes my chest tight.
I gotta get him home.
Releasing his chin, I toss him a smile and step back.
“You don’t have to come down,” I murmur finally after throwing a shirt on. I don’t know who it belongs to but it’s almost a size too small and hits right above my waistband, the sleeves showing the stark difference between my untanned skin and the burns coating me.
They aren’t the worst ones I’ve had, but damn do I need some aloe.
And a shower.
I still smell like smoke.
Heading to the stairs with every intention of leaving Em up here in the quiet so I can bring him back a plate, I pause when he whispers something.
