‘I want you to,’ I whisper.
‘We can’t,’ he chokes out. ‘Ican’t.’
I move my hand once more and he groans softly, before gripping my wrist and forcing me to stop. He releases a shaky breath and slides his fingers between mine, gripping me so hard it almost hurts. I’ve never seen him shaken like this.
His lips move against my hairline, skimming across my cheekbone. He kisses across my freckles, down my jaw, and then, his lips are on mine.
Warm, soft,perfect.
He tastes like coffee, mint chewing gum and a slight hint of something else. Beer perhaps, but I know he isn’t drunk. Neither of us have drunk much at all tonight, too stressed and on edge about something going wrong at the party, given that it’s our house and all. Well, my family’s house, although he’s here just as much as Zayden and me.
Our lips move together, slow and soft at first before moving into something a little more desperate. His hands are in my hair, combing through it, and I whimper into his mouth, loving the feel of his hard body against mine. His lips move across my chin, down to my neck, and he softly bites my skin there, making me moan. My hands run down his sides, then slide across his torso. I trace the hard lines of his stomach. His hand moves from my hair, carving a line down my neck and moving to my breast. He gently palms it, and I arch my back, pushing myself into him.
‘Fuck, Blush,’ he groans.
His mouth is on mine again, sucking my lower lip between his teeth. A thrill shoots through me at the sensation. The kiss is deep and hungry, and our hands move across each other’s bodies, exploring our touch properly for the first time.
‘Do you know how hard it is not to kiss you every moment of every day?’ he pants, his breathing ragged.
‘Yes,’ I whisper. ‘Because I fight the same urge.’
‘Beautiful,’ he keeps murmuring between kisses. ‘So, so beautiful.’
A shriek startles us both, and then the sound of glass smashing on cement jolts us from our trance. Breathing heavily, he steps back, combing a hand through his hair.
‘That doesn’t sound good,’ I pant, needing to fill the tension-laced silence, my head spinning from what just happened.
‘No.’ He shakes his head. His eyes drop to my wrist, and I realise I’m playing with the end of my leather bracelet. ‘That’s new,’ he says.
‘Um,’ I whisper, my throat suddenly dry. ‘I actually got it for you.’ My cheeks grow warm. ‘I’m not sure if it’s something you’d like ... or even wear ...’
His brilliant smile lights up his face. ‘You got that for me?’
I nod. ‘Yeah.’
Slipping it off, I hand it to him. He trails his fingers over it, before unknotting it and tying it around his wrist. His eyes linger on it for a moment. The leather weaves in a crisscross movement, fitting him perfectly.
‘I love it,’ he says. ‘It’s even more special knowing it’s from you.’
My heart trips in my chest as I beam up at him, thrilled. I felt confident when I bought it, but was too scared to give it to him, as I was worried he would think it’s juvenile.
Moving my hands up the sides of his neck, I thread my fingers around the back of his head. His eyes lock on mine.
Reaching up, I press my mouth to his for one more moment before we step away from each other and pretend nothing ever happened.
10
ANYA
EVEN WITH MY EYES CLOSED,I can see the vibrant flash of coloured lights throughout the room. Long slender arms wrap around my waist. I shimmy down Cami’s body, bounce a few times, and slide back up.
I’ve been fighting off the flashbacks tearing through my mind. Me dancing, Mason nearby, those whisky eyes boring into mine. The way his mouth moved against my lips so passionately, so hungrily. Shaking the thoughts away, I desperately try to focus on the reality I’m in now, rather than the moments my mind is begging me to revisit.
A loud whistle draws my attention to a guy in the corner of the room. He has champagne-blond hair and an arrogant smirk twisted onto his lips. He is tall and packed with muscle, so I assume he is part of the football team. He beckons me over with his fingers, but I pretend I don’t see it. I don’t have the energy to deal with boys tonight. Instead, I turn and reach for Nora, pulling her close. We move to the beat. The bass is so loud the walls shake. The rational part of my brain is concerned about the neighbours, but the other part of me just wants to let loose and have fun.
A succession of vibrations against my thigh makes me pause and fish for my phone. When I pull it out, I see Dylan’s name across the screen. I frown at it, the alcohol making my thoughts slow. The screen goes black.
A moment later, it’s ringing again. Ignoring the call, I shove the phone back into my pocket, but the warm buzz I was feeling a moment ago has dimmed. My stomach churns as his face flashes through my mind. I can’t believe they did that to me. My boyfriend and my best friend ...
