It was hungry in a way that made my skin heat and my thoughts scatter.
His hand slid up my back, fingers splaying just under my shoulder blade, holding me there like he didn’t trust himself to let go.
I didn’t want him to.
Not yet.
Not when this was something I had imagined for years and was now finally feeling for real.
I leaned into him more, my body reacting before my brain could catch up, and that’s when I felt the shift.
Not wrong.
Not bad.
Just… more.
Like if we didn’t stop, we weren’t going to.
We broke apart at the same time, like something inside both of us snapped back into place.
I sucked in a breath, my chest rising and falling as I tried to steady myself.My lips felt swollen, my whole body buzzed in a way I didn’t know what to do with.
Jude didn’t move far.
He stayed close.
Too close.
His eyes were dark, intense, and filled with something that made my stomach twist in a completely different way.
Not confusion.
Not curiosity.
Need.
“We should slow down,” I said, even though every part of me was screaming the opposite.
He nodded immediately.“Whatever you want.”
No hesitation.
No push.
Just… that.
And somehow that made it harder because I did want him.
God, I wanted him.
But wanting him and being ready for all of this?
Those weren’t the same thing.
“Uh… maybe I should get ready for bed,” I said, my voice a little unsteady.
And then it hit me.
