“Louis,” I say, my voice strained. “I …”
My words vanish when he turns and crosses the room in three strides. Before I can even finish my sentence, his hands are cupping my face, and his mouth is on mine. I don’t even remember what I was going to say.
The kiss isn’t gentle. It’s everything we’ve been holding back, all the tension from the conservatory sessions and the chess games and the dinner in his loft. I grab the lapels of his suit jacket and pull him closer, needing more. He backs me against the kitchen counter, his body pressing into mine.
Our tongues slide together, and I moan into his mouth because I’ve been wanting this since the last time I had him.
His hands slide down from my face to my hips, and he lifts me onto the counter, stepping between my thighs. I wrap my legs around him and drag him against me, and the sound he makes against my mouth is almost painful. His fingers dig into the bare skin of my thighs, and I arch into him because I need all of him.
“Fuck,” he breathes against my lips when his hands slide higher and find nothing but skin. “You’re not wearing any panties.”
“I took a shower and wasn’t expecting company,” I confess.
He groans and kisses me deeper, one hand gripping my thigh while the other tangles in my hair. I can feel how hard he is, pressed against me.
When he finally pulls back, we’re both gasping for breath.
“This is far from over. You’ll search for this feeling for the rest of your life,” he says against my mouth.
“So will you.”
Louis places his forehead against mine. “I can’t give you up yet.”
“Then don’t.”
His phone buzzes, and he pulls it out of his pocket with a, “Fuck. I have to go.”
I can’t even respond as he steps away from me and walks out the door without looking back.
I sit on the counter with my shirt pushed up. My lips are swollen, and my entire body is aching for more. The door clicks shut, and I stare at the empty room.
I slide onto unsteady legs and press my fingers to my lips.
“What the hell?” I whisper, knowing he makes me weak.
I sink into the cushions and turn my action movie back on.
An hour into it, there’s another knock at my door.
“Seriously?” I say out loud.
I move to the door, expecting to find Louis again. But it’s not him.
Delphine is wearing a hooded cloak like she’s stepped out of a fairy tale. Her eyes are bright with mischief, and she’s grinning like she knows exactly what happened.
“Special delivery,” she says, holding out a folded piece of paper.
I take it with trembling fingers and unfold it.
Louis’s perfect handwriting stares back at me.
Meet me at the clock tower at midnight.
I look up at Delphine, but she’s already backing away, her cloak swirling around her ankles.
“Don’t be late,” she singsongs before she’s gone.
I stand in the doorway, holding his note, my lips still tingling from his kiss, wondering how the hell I’m supposed to stay away from him now.
