A dew-dropped forehead fell to my shoulder. He heaved, slowly catching his breath. I clung to him, refusing to let go yet, like a creature gripping onto a boulder in the shallows, wary of being dragged back out again.
Gently, his head lifted. Finley’s hand came up, stroking a thumb against my cheek as if I were something precious to behold. His lips found mine again, this time—reverent, loving, patient. Reluctance glittered in his eyes as he pulled back.
“That was—” Finley started, voice sounding as worn as our bodies.
“Incredible?” I offered. A light laugh escaped me as I beamed.
What was this man doing to me? The sex was amazing, but this—it wasn’t a hookup or merely two people needing release. No, this felt like we’d slipped into the depths of something we couldn’t come back from. The way he looked at me—it made my whole soul pause, shifting the very fibers within me.
Since the day I’d arrived and first stepped into that classroom, he’d been my friend. Even after the countless rejections and dismissals, he came right back with that same easy smile.Always wondering how I was doing, making sure I’d smile and laugh, all while getting me home safe.
Whenever he looked at me, I felt it. I believed it. I’d spent so long wanting to feel that raw, unfiltered emotional honesty. And with Finley—I think I may have felt it all along. That shared connection.
His gaze dropped to my legs which were still tied around him, trapping him in his own little prison. Hands pressed into my thighs, rubbing up and down as he grinned.
“Now these—” Finley squeezed the soft flesh of my thighs, eyebrows hitching up. “Ilovethese,” he drawled the word shamelessly, fingers getting their fill.
“Uh huh,” I said, suppressing the insecure urge to tug my dress back down. But this was Finley, and he wouldn’t allow room for my self-doubt. So instead, I embraced it, letting a relieved laugh slip out. “You haven’t even seen these yet,” I teased, shimmying my chest so my boobs jiggled.
“Mmm,” he moaned, eyes lingering like a thief on jewels. “Now those I can’t wait to dive into next time.” He immediately nuzzled his head between my breasts, playfully growling. My body tensed, but the ticklish thrill won the fight as I barked out hysterically.
He eased away, chuckling. That handsome face tilted up to look at me, but for a moment, I swore those green eyes darkened.
“Are you—” I paused, a flush stinging into my cheeks, lungs tightening. Would he regret this—regret me? “You okay?”
His mouth swiftly planted warm kisses along my neck, gently sweeping over my choker. Each one brushed away my seeds of doubt. The last, most tender kiss landed on the darkened scar near my shoulder, the recent addition.
My heart fluttered at thetouch.
“More than okay,” he whispered into my ear, cocky yet firm. “Ya know,next timecould be in a few minutes if you wanted it to be.” Every word was laced in hope as his lips trailed my cheek, slow kisses punctuating the underlying question.
I could absolutely be swept up in the intoxication of round two, but a part of me recognized the heaviness of what just changed between us. The introverted part of me needed my solitude to process it all.
I took his face between my hands and gently pulled his head up.
“It’s late,” I breathed against his lips with a smile. “Walk me home?”
He nodded, dragging his lips over mine.
“Of course. One of my favorite things to do—” He halted and a cheeky smile grew. “Though,” he added. “I may have a new favorite thing to do with ya.”
Smiling, I curled into his arms to steal his warmth, his company . . . just for a moment longer.
I should’ve been scared of this, of finally letting someone back in—but when he held me, I felt secure. I could be swallowed by a dark night, and he’d still be there, fingers intertwined in mine, guiding me to the moonlit path home.
“You’re right, ya know,” he said, voice buttery smooth as he tucked a stray lock behind my ear.
I tilted my head, waiting.
He spun to look at the ruins, then turned back to me, steady and sure. “This place is a piece of me. And now, you’re a piece of me too.”
Maybe they were just words strung together in a sentence, but they injected straight into my bloodstream, resuscitating my feeble heart.
And then his mouth found mine again.
49
POGUE
