The room is warm. Too warm, actually—I can feel the heat radiating off her from here. She’s been running hot for days, that flush in her cheeks that won’t fade, the way she keeps reaching for cold water like it’ll help.
It hasn’t helped.
I slide into bed behind her, keeping a careful distance. Not touching. Trying to give her space even though it’s the last thing I want.
She shifts almost immediately, pressing back into me, and I have to bite down on a groan. Her body fits against mine like she was made for this space—her back to my chest, her ass against my hips, her legs tangling with mine.
Fuck.
I remind myself that Locke told us. That this is all new for her. That the kiss on the porch was her first, and everything since then has been uncharted territory.
I settle for sliding my arm around her waist. That’s safe.
Except I’m not wearing a shirt, and everywhere she touches me feels like electricity. Even through the fabric, I can feel the heat of her—too warm, almost feverish—and my body runs cold enough that the contrast makes every point of contact light up like a live wire.
She turns in my arms.
Now we’re face to face, her pale eyes finding mine in the dark, and she shifts closer. Presses herself against my chest. Her hand comes up to rest over my heart and I stop breathing.
“Nova…”
“Yeah?”
I let out a little laugh. Can’t help it. “You’re not making this easy.”
“I just—” She presses closer, her forehead against my collarbone. “This is the first time in days. Maybe weeks. That I don’t feel like I’m burning from the inside out.” She looks up at me. “It’s when you touch me. It stops.”
Fuck.
“Not sure you should say things like that to me.”
Something shifts in her expression. I watch it happen—the moment she stops thinking about the burning and starts noticing something else. The way her body is pressed against mine. The way my hand is splayed across her lower back. The way my cock is hardening against her hip no matter how hard I try to control it.
She shifts closer.
And then she kisses me.
I forget myself for a full thirty seconds. My arms come around her, pulling her tight against me, and I’m deepening the kiss before I can think better of it. She tastes like toothpaste and something sweeter underneath, and she makes this soft sound against my mouth that goes straight to my cock.
My hand slides under her shirt, up her back, feeling the heat of her skin. I bring it around to her side, my thumb brushing the underside of her breast, and I go rigid.
Stop. She’s never done this. You’re taking advantage.
I start to pull my hand away.
She grabs my arm. Holds me in place.
“Kyron, don’t stop.” She pulls back just enough to meet my eyes. “I want this. I want you.”
“Are you sure, Nova?” The words scrape out of me. “I know there’s a lot going on, and you’ve been dealing with—”
She puts her finger to my lips.
“I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life, Kyron.”
I look down at her. She looks up at me. And then I’m smiling—slow, real—and she’s smiling back.
“Then let me make you feel good, Nova.” My thumb brushes over her nipple. She gasps, her back arching into my hand, and I have to swallow hard before I can finish. “You deserve to feel good.”
