“But I wasn’t ready to give you the truth,” she said. “And you knew that. So you protected us.”
I closed my eyes for one second.
Us.
She said us like it belonged to her now.
When I opened them, she pulled the hoodie over her head.
My hoodie.
Her hair fell over her shoulders, static-kissed and wild. Underneath, she wore a thin long-sleeved shirt, leggings, snow-damp socks, and the bracelet I’d given her.
Not glamorous.
Not polished.
Not dressed for seduction.
Still the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.
I reached for the hem of her shirt. Paused.
“Tell me.”
She lifted her arms.
“I’m yours.”
My hands shook. Just once. Enough that she saw.
I pulled the shirt over her head and dropped it to the floor.
Her bra was pale lace. Soft. I ran my knuckles lightly down the center of her chest, watching goose bumps rise across her tan, smooth skin. She grabbed my wrist.
“Drew.”
“What?”
“Do not make this slow just to torture me.”
I laughed under my breath. “There’s my girl.”
“I mean it.”
“You want fast?”
“I want you.”
Everything in me went quiet.
Then hot.
I leaned down and kissed the center of her chest, right above the edge of lace. Her breath caught. My hands moved to her back, found the clasp, and flicked it open. I slid the straps down her arms and let the bra fall.
Her skin was warm under my palms. Tan. Smooth. I ran my hands up her sides, thumbs brushing the undersides of her breasts, then lower again, just feeling her. She sighed softly and leaned into my touch.
I kissed her neck— slow, open-mouthed kisses along the column of her throat, then lower to the spot just beneath her ear. She shivered. I sucked gently there, then kissed the same spot, and she made a small, breathy sound that went straight through me.
