“Stan,” he says. “If we kiss, you should know I’m not going anywhere after.”
My brain melts. Fully melts. I’m pudding. Human flan.
“I mean it.” He inches in even closer. His nose bumps mine. “I don’t want this to be something you take back later.”
“I won’t take anything back,” I whisper. “Ever.”
His eyes go down to my mouth again. If he doesn’t kiss me soon, I’m gonna let out a sound so desperate I’ll never recover socially.
Then he tilts his head a little. I’m breathing wrong. That’s not fair ‘cause he’s breathing right.
I want to kiss him so bad, it’s borderline insane.
“Nil,” I whisper, because Ineedhim to know. “I want this.”
He leans in until our lips brush. The heat off him hits me so hard. I think I stop breathing. Maybe I’m dead. Can’t be sure. Hard to understand reality when your entire life is about to tilt into something you never thought you’d get.
Then he closes the space between us.
His lips meet mine completely.
My spine jolts like a live wire.
His mouth’s warm and soft, better than any daydream. All careful at first, way too careful, like he’s checking if I’ll break. Joke’s on him. I broke ages ago. But he keeps finding ways to fix me.
I kiss him back instantly. Probably way too eager, but I don’t care.
I grab his shirt and pull him closer. My body has no patience left. My mind’s made up. My heart wants more than it ever has, now that he’s finally kissing me.
Nil makes this sound in his throat, and then the kiss stops beingcareful.
It gets hungry.
He cups my face hard enough that I feel it in my bones. I kiss him like I’m trying to breathe through him. It’s messy and hot and completely perfect.
I don’t know where my hands go until I feel his heartbeat under my fingers. I don’t know when I end up half in his lap. I don’t know why the mirrors aren’t scaring me anymore. Maybe because he’s touching me. Maybe because this whole ship could sink into the Red Sea right now, and I wouldn’t give a fuck. As long as I’m kissing him.
A noise I’ve never made before leaves my throat. He swallows it like it belongs to him. My head switches angles. His fingers slide into my hair.
He deepens the kiss, then pulls back slowly.
We only break apart so we don’t pass out. Even then, I wouldn’t mind.
Nil touches my cheek with his thumb. “Stan.”
I smile. “Wanna do that again?”
Nil laughs, adorably breathless. “I really do.”
Then he kisses me again, and this one’s even worse. Or better. Or both. Honestly, I stop caring about words or thoughts altogether because his mouth is on mine.
And I kiss him back like I’ve been waiting for this since the day I met him. Which I have.
I grab the back of his neck, brushing his hair, and he groans right into my mouth.
Okay, yeah, that’s it. I’m done. Someone, call the captain. I’m a hazard to maritime safety now.
My other hand slips down because I need to touch him. More of him.
