“I—I thought you wanted to be friends.”
“That’s the last thing I want!” she cried out. “I want us to be together. I want to consume every fiber of your soul and body. That’s what I want.”
“Y—you do. I mean, you are,” he choked out. “I was just scared you’d reject me.”
“Why would I reject you?” She raged, grabbing the collar of his jacket, wanting to shake him. “I spend every free momentwith you and refer to you as my boyfriend. What more do you need?”
“I—I can’t lose you.” The very thought sent a violent shiver down his spine. She wasn’t a crush or a high school sweetheart or any of that crap. She was his life. Plain and simple. The only good thing about his day.
“Is it because our families would never let us be together?” She put a hand on his cheek, tilting his face down to look at her. “Is it because your father would never accept me?”
“N—no. I don’t care about any of that. I only care about you.”
“I only care about you, too.”
His face was ablaze. Not even his natural deep tan could hide what she did to him.
But ultimately, she was braver than him because she took the step necessary to eat all the space between them. Their bodies collided, molding into one frame. She ran her fingers through his hair; a delicious shade of chestnut brown she wished his children would inherit when he found another girl—awholegirl—to marry and have children with. She couldn’t have him forever. But she could have him tonight. And tonight would have to be enough for her.
He trembled against her flesh, and she wanted to die, die, die, knowing he’d one day marry someone else.
She did it again, testing her power over him as if she’d discovered a new magic, this time running her fingers along the side of his face. Another quiver rocked his body, making him stagger back.
“Chelovek.” She brushed the tip of her nose against his, taking his cheeks in her hands, and breathing him in. The look on his face broke her heart into a million pieces. He looked panicked, almost in pain. She wondered if it was because she was touching him or because he was being touched at all.She guessed it was a bit of both. He was starved for human affection.
She closed her eyes, forcing herself to pull away. “If you don’t want to kiss, we don’t have to. I was just kidding,” she whispered, stroking his face. She had an odd sensation, like her heart was swelling, becoming much bigger than something her ribcage could ever contain. “Well, half kidding. I’d love to kiss you, Achilles, but I’m willing to wait. We’ve both been through so much and I never want to…” She swallowed. “I never want you to feel like you have to do something you don’t want to. I’ll call you tomorrow.” She kissed his cheek gingerly and shot him a nervous smile, her facade slipping.
No one ever managed to peer past the mask she put on when she faced the world. No one but Achilles. He saw her for who she truly was. And he loved her all the same.
He stared at her pleadingly, desperate for something he didn’t have words for. She turned around and walked away. Her knees were jelly.
Keep walking, she told herself.Give him his space.
This was the part where he’d grab her waist and kiss her silly. A passionate, all-consuming kiss that’d put every Hallmark movie to shame.
It didn’t happen that way.
In reality, she took the first, then second, then third stair to her building. When she reached the fourth, she heard a loud thump. She turned around. Achilles was at her feet, planted face down on the sidewalk.
“What happened?” she gasped.
“I tried to kiss you, but then you turned around too fast, and…” He didn’t have to finish.
She rushed down, falling to her knees, just as he rose up. Their heads knocked together. She laughed. He sucked in abreath. And then he put his lips on hers, both of them on their knees.
It was their first kiss, and as such, it started clumsily. The pressure was too soft, then too hard. When they opened their mouths, their teeth clashed, and they grinned into each other’s lips. She was the first to taste him, but once he had a taste of her, the monster he kept so tightly leashed around her broke off its chains.
He grabbed the back of her neck and jerked her close. His arousal throbbed through his pants, and she ground against it on pure instinct, grinning as he let loose a wretched grunt. His tongue explored her mouth, and she linked her hands over his shoulders, moaning into his mouth.
“Is this okay?” He broke off the kiss for a second, dropping his gaze to watch the space between them as her sex rubbed against his penis like she was trying to light them both on fire.
“Yeah,” she panted. “Oh God, yeah.”
Their lips fused back together.
Tierney’s happiness at finally being kissed by him was quickly replaced with an urgent fireball of a knot between her thighs. A delicious, warm pressure she needed to unfurl.
They kissed and ground against each other until their lips were raw, their mouths dry, their breath a little sour.
