“You’re in Chicago,” I croaked, my voice hoarse, disbelief tangling with something hotter, something sharper that shot through me like lightning.
Holly smiled faintly, that slow, cocky tilt of her mouth that always got under my skin. “Looks like you need to check your notes again.”
My skin prickled, every hair on my arms standing on end as I tried to process the impossible. The way her hair fell loose around her shoulders, the easy t-shirt, the jeans hugging her just enough. It was simple, unassuming, and yet she radiated everything I’d been craving without realizing it.
“Wh- what are you doing here?” My words stumbled over themselves. My throat went dry, awareness latching onto every inch of her.
She cocked her head, that glint in her eyes that was equal parts playful and dangerous. “You want me to go?”
The fog snapped. All the built-up tension, the months of waiting and holding back, coiled like a spring. I lunged, hand closing aroundher wrist, pulling her inside the apartment. The door swung shut behind us, and instinct drove me to press her against it, body flush with hers. Heat roared through me, charging the air between us.
“Tell me I’ve got this all wrong,” I said, my voice rough, desperate, because I needed to hear it wasn’t just a dream, that I wasn’t imagining her standing here, skin warm under my fingers.
Something flared in her eyes, a spark I couldn’t ignore. “You’ve got this all wrong,” she said. And then she kissed me.
Her lips collided with mine, fierce and insistent. The kiss burned with all the months of tension, all the withheld moments, every near-miss, every glance left unreturned. I staggered slightly backward, caught between disbelief and desire, but I didn’t pull away. I couldn’t.
Her hands slid into my hair, fingers threading through the soft tangles, tugging gently as if to anchor me, to pull me closer. I wrapped my arms around her, cupping the small of her back, pulling her flush to me. The world narrowed until there was only the heat between us, the press of our bodies, the taste and smell and brush of skin.
Breath mingled, ragged and hot. Our mouths moved together with increasing urgency, tongues tracing, exploring, tasting. Every touch, every glide of her hands over me sent sparks firing through my chest. And lower.
She pressed herself harder, and I let my hands wander, tracing the line of her spine, sliding to the curve of her hips. She moaned softly into the kiss, breath hitching against me, and I felt the pull, the impossible gravity of her. I could tell she was as into this as I was. Every tremble, every subtle shiver betrayed it.
Our lips broke apart just enough for us to gasp, foreheads pressed together, breaths mingling. And then, as if the pause was unbearable, she dove back, teeth grazing mine, hands seeking, finding, latching on. Every second was electric, dizzying, a whirl of sensation and longing finally unleashed.
I felt her body mold to mine perfectly, every curve, every press of her warmth searing into me. Her hands didn’t stop moving, exploringmy shoulders, my chest, dragging me closer, making me groan low in my throat.
When we finally pulled apart slightly, our foreheads still rested together. My hand lingered at the curve of her jaw, fingertips brushing the soft flush of her skin. Her hands were still in my hair, pulling me down for another press of lips, another shiver of contact.
“I… I—” I stammered, my voice rough, not from words but from everything that had just passed between us.
Her fingers tightened in my hair, anchoring me, grounding me in the here and now. “Shh,” she whispered, barely audible, her lips brushing mine again. “Not yet… just this.”
I exhaled, letting the moment stretch, letting the heat of her body, the scent, the taste, the absolute pull of her, sink in. My hands moved lower, sliding to her hips, tracing her sides, holding her close while her body responded against mine. It was chaotic and perfect, a storm we had no choice but to dive into.
Every inch of her against me was a revelation. She was fire and calm all at once, fierce yet tender, and it broke through every wall I’d built. I felt her shiver under my hands, lips parting, breaths hitching in time with mine, and I knew I couldn’t stop. Wouldn’t stop.
Her hands traced down my back, tugging at me, and I leaned in, dragging her closer, letting my lips find every inch of her mouth, the kiss deepening, searing, unrelenting. Time slowed, senses heightened. Every touch was amplified, every press of skin a drumbeat in my chest, every brush of hair against mine a spark.
I caught her hand in mine, holding it against my chest, feeling the pulse of her warmth, the tremble in her fingers, grounding us both.
Her lips traced mine again, this time slow, teasing, dragging the heat out, and I couldn’t help but let a laugh rumble low in my chest. She leaned back just enough to grin, that cocky tilt of her head that had undone me more times than I could count. “You’re quiet all of a sudden,” she murmured, brushing her fingers along my jaw.
“Don’t ruin the moment,” I teased back, tugging her hand towardme, holding it pressed to my chest. The warmth of her skin, the tremble in her fingers. God, it drove me crazy.
She hummed softly, lips ghosting over mine in fleeting kisses, each one a small confession. And maybe I wasn’t ready to speak mine out loud yet, but the way she pressed to me, the tilt of her body, the way she fit against me, said everything I’d been holding back.
“You have no idea how hard I tried,” she whispered, voice husky, half-laughing. “To not want you like this. To not feel…”
“Thank God, there’s something you’re not annoyingly good at,” I countered, grinning despite the heat pooling low, despite the way she made me lose all sense of time and space. “I was beginning to develop a complex.”
Her fingers threaded through my hair, tugging slightly. Eyes on fire like I’d never seen them. “Oh, well, we can’t have that, can we?”
“You can have anything you want, Holly,” I said, lips brushing hers again. “Just say the word.”
The tingling warmth of her laugh sent a shiver through me. She pressed forward, lips capturing mine for a slow, soft kiss, hands gliding over my shoulders and down my arms. Every movement, every touch, it all built tension that neither of us could ignore anymore.
“I’m done pretending,” she murmured, cheek against mine, breath mingling. “I don’t want to do that with you. Not you.”
