“Cody.” My voice goes soft around the edges.
He brushes my hair aside and fastens the chain around my neck with steady fingers. The cool metal settles against my skin, just above the neckline of my dress. When his hands fall to my shoulders, I touch the pendant lightly.
“It’s so beautiful,” I whisper.
“It matches you,” he says, lowering his mouth to my neck. His lips graze just beneath my ear, slow and deliberate.
A shiver rolls down my spine.
“Cody,” I breathe, trying to steady myself, “our parents could be looking for us any second.”
“They’re busy,” he says, hands slipping to my hips. “And I’ve barely seen you since I transferred.”
I feel the tug at the bottom of my dress.
“Wait––” I glance down, catching his fingers inching up the hem of my Vera Wang dress. “You can’t wrinkle this.”
He smiles to himself. “I’ll be gentle.”
His reflection meets mine in the mirror, watching as he kisses the back of my neck. His eyes are full of want as his teeth sink into my shoulder, jolting me into pure need.
“It’s been too long,” he says. “You know it has. Every time I’m back home, someone needs something. Your parents pull you one way, my dad pulls me the other. I swear we get two minutes together before something drags us apart again.”
“I know.” I turn, sliding my fingers up his jacket slowly. His Adam’s apple moves under my touch as he almost groans.
“I missed this,” I admit, leaning in to kiss him.
His mouth catches mine with a hunger that makes my knees weak. “Missed you too, babe.” He says it against my lips like he means it.
His arms tighten around me, and for a moment, it’s just breathing and closeness and the warmth of him pressing into me. All the weeks apart, the half-finished phone calls, the late-night messages, the constant push and pull of our schedules –– it all crashes together in the space between our mouths.
Then he lifts me.
It’s sudden but careful. The room tilts slightly as butterflies threaten every ounce of my being. The chandelier above us glints in the mirror.
“Let’s be quick,” he murmurs with a crooked grin. “Your parents like me, but they wouldn’t be thrilled to find out I’m up here corrupting their daughter.”
Cody spins me again, and I watch our reflections again. My necklace sparkles against my skin, catching the light with each movement. His hands slide down my sides, lifting the satin. Air brushes my thighs, warm from the closet and cold from anticipation. My breath comes faster.
He hooks a finger under the waistband of my thong and slips it down, slow and careful, so the fabric doesn’t snag on my heels.He watches every second, gaze darkening in a way that makes my chest feel tight.
Everything in the room sharpens –– the faint scent of my perfume on the vanity, the distant murmur of guests downstairs, the soft glide of satin as he lifts more of my dress.
He kisses my neck, slower this time, his mouth lingering. One of his hands curls under my dress, holding it up.
“Adela,” he says softly, the way he only ever says it when we’re alone.
The sound of my name in his voice is enough to make my lips part.
Then there’s a faint crinkle of foil.
My breath hitches.
He presses his forehead to the back of my head, lips moving against my hair. “I’ve got you.”
My fingers dig into the dresser’s edge to steady myself. The mirror reflects my flushed cheeks, his hands, the lift of my dress, and the pink glint of the necklace he just clasped around my throat. I’ve never looked more alive than I do right now, lit from within, trembling in anticipation.
“Look at you,” he whispers, eyes flicking up to meet mine in the mirror. “You’re all mine. This is what I think about when I’m gone.”
