All of me.
For tonight, anyway.
“That’s what I thought,” he grumbles deeply.
For a moment, he pulls back, and both of our eyes are thick with desire. We know what’s about to go down, and suddenly my knees are shaking at the thought. It might have been a while, but I’m willing to let myself go.
JJ takes my cheek with his other hand and presses his lips to mine. At first, the kiss is soft, delicate. It takes me a moment to feel the shape of his gorgeous mouth. His fingers slide into theback of my hair, tilting my head to the perfect angle so he can deepen the kiss.
I release a slow exhale as his tongue slips across my bottom lip. I’m gasping when he brushes it against my own. My head twists and he steps forward, guiding me further into his apartment.
After a few seconds, his hands drop from my face, and he glides them over my shoulders and down my back until he reaches my ass and parts my thighs. My legs wrap around his waist with ease as he draws me into his arms as if I weigh nothing.
My fingers graze his buzzed hair, and I kiss him deeper, holding my arms tightly around his neck as he continues to walk. He kicks the door open, and then shut once we’re inside.
JJ drops me to the bed but slides across me, our lips barely parting for a second. His fingers bunch at my sides, but he doesn’t race to take off my dress, which is weirdly a relief. He’s taking his time, and I couldn’t be more grateful.
Instead, we explore each other through our kisses, the feel of our bodies with our clothes on. I understand that one-night stands are one-night stands for a reason, but it’s nice to feel wanted and not used.
JJ parts from my lips and kisses over my jaw, down my neck, and over my collarbone. I stare up at his ceiling, trying to keep my breathing under control. He can probably hear a hurricane going off inside my chest, but his lips feel so damn divine, I don’t care.
He raises up and looks down at me with dilated eyes and swollen lips. His heated gaze trails my face as he blows out a low breath.
JJ slowly flicks his fingers inside the straps of my dress. “Can I take this off?”
My breathing hitches, and the intensity of our gazes feels like a nuclear explosion. The thought of him seeing me naked is incredibly unnerving.
For a moment, I pause.
I’ve had a difficult relationship with my body for the past few years, ever since the accident. This body hasn’t felt like mine, regardless of the scars—physical and invisible.
My therapist tried so hard to get me to understand my thoughts, but I guess it’s been psychologically imprinted into me. A mental block.The fear of being vulnerable for someone else to see all my cracks and flaws.
“We don’t have to,” JJ says, sensing my hesitation.
But his words slash into me.
I thought I’d be running at the idea of a one-night stand, but I don’t want to. I want to stay. I want to push away these insecurities that have been crowding my mind for years. I want to be the woman I’ve always wanted to be.Brave.
A wave of confidence steams through me, I don’t overthink it—I take it.
It’s the first time I’ve felt empowered and comfortable in years.
“Take it off,” I say boldly.
“You sure?” he asks, searching my eyes.
I nod adamantly. “Yes. Take it off.”
He lowers to kiss the corner of my mouth gently. Then he flicks the straps off my dress and pulls it down my chest and legs until I am in nothing but my underwear. Suddenly, the cool air has me feeling more than exposed. I didn’t wear a bra tonight because it didn’t go with my dress.
But JJ’s eyes soften as he looks down at my naked body. He takes his sweet time to analyse every inch of me. His gaze gravitates to the centre of my chest, right where my healed scar is. Beside my heart.
He blinks once, and then twice, but his expression doesn’t give anything away.
Once upon a time, it was ugly and prominent, but now it’s mostly red and flat.
His eyes dart to mine, and I bite down on my bottom lip with apprehension.
