My hand moves quickly across the page, scratching out a list of all the things I've been too scared to do. All the risks I've never taken. All the chances I've let slip through my fingers because I was playing it safe.
I've spent my whole life being careful, following the rules, making the right choices. And for what?
The list grows longer as I scribble frantically, my heart pounding as I commit each item to paper. Some are small, some are huge, some are downright filthy. Things I've thought about but never dared to say out loud, much less do.
This is who I want to be. Bold. Fearless. Taking what I want instead of waiting for permission. More like Reagan and less like the pretty dancer that my father wanted me to be.
I glance over at Ramsey. His eyes are closed, his breathing steady. The mask has dried completely on his face, cracking slightly around his mouth where he's been smirking at whatever he's thinking about.
And suddenly I realize the first thing on my list is sitting right fucking next to me.
I nudge his arm. "Hey, phantom. Time to wash this shit off."
His eyes open, impossibly blue against the gray of the mask. "About fucking time. My face feels like it's being shrink-wrapped."
I stand up and stretch, my shirt riding up slightly. I catch Ramsey's eyes flicking to the exposed strip of skin before looking away.
We walk down the hall to his bathroom. It’s pristine, black and white. Very monochromatic.
"Ladies first," he says, gesturing to the sink.
I lean over and splash warm water on my face, working my fingers in circles to dissolve the mask. It feels good, the tight sensation giving way to softness underneath. I grab one of Ramsey's ridiculously expensive hand towels and pat my face dry.
"Your turn."
He takes my place at the sink, hunching his tall frame to reach the water. I watch as he methodically removes every trace of the mask, those strong hands gentle on his own face. Water drips down his neck, darkening the collar of his shirt.
When he straightens up, water droplets cling to his dark lashes, and something inside me just...snaps.
I grab Ramsey by his faded hockey t-shirt, yanking him down to my level, and crash my lips against his. For a heartbeat, he freezes completely—like I've short-circuited his entire system.
Then his hands are in my hair, gripping hard enough to hurt in the best possible way. He walks me backward until I hit the bathroom counter, his body pressing me into the cold marble.
And all of a sudden he’s kissing me and drawing my breath out of my body. He’s taking everything out of my lungs and filling it with his own oxygen. He’s in me, and I didn’t know kissing could be like this. Should be like this.
Chapter 16
Ramsey
Her mouth tastes like fucking heaven and sin explicitly entwined together.
For a split second, I freeze—my brain unable to process that Reese—MY north fucking star, has her hands fisted in my shirt, pulling me down to her level, her lips pressed against mine. But that hesitation lasts only a heartbeat before something animalistic inside me snaps.
Mine. Mine. MINE.
I’m so fucking gone.
I grab her hair, twisting it around my fist and yanking her head back. Mine. She's finally fucking mine. The word pounds through my blood like a drum as I devour her mouth, tasting mint from the spa shit and something sweeter that's just her.
She makes this little whimpering sound against my lips, and I nearly lose my goddamn mind. I lift herup like she weighs nothing, setting her ass on the counter and stepping between her legs. My cock is already rock hard, straining against my sweats as I press against her core.
"Fuck," I growl against her mouth, not breaking the kiss for even a second. I can't. If I stop, this might not be real. She might change her mind.
I kiss her like I'm dying and she's the last breath of air on this fucked-up planet. Like I'll never get this chance again. Because I might not. Four years of wanting her, watching her, protecting her, and now she's in my arms, her legs wrapping around my waist, pulling me closer. This is nothing like the first kiss I ever gave her, that was chaste compared to this.
I need to memorize every detail of her taste, her touch, the little sounds she makes when I suck her bottom lip between my teeth. She tastes like chocolate and that Japanese soda, sweet and tangy and so fucking perfect I could die right here.
I break away, breathing hard, my cock throbbing painfully against the thin fabric of my pants. I press my forehead against hers, our breath mingling in the small space between us. Her pupils are blown wide, those hazel eyes almost black with desire. Fuck, I want to devour her whole.
