“Aeron,” she says.
I turn to look at her.
The fairy lights catch the gold flecks in her eyes. They’re bright again and she has a heated expression I’ve never seen directed at me before. She bites her lower lip and I swallow.
She crosses the twelve inches of space and kisses me.
For one full second my brain goes completely blank, every thought emptied out like someone tipped my skull upside down and shook. Then the signals come back and I just go with what feels most natural, praying I’m doing this right. My hands find her waist, pulling her a little closer. Her fingers slide into my hair. She tastes like strawberries (maybe from a vodka shot earlier), and she’s warm. She’s so warm, and I’m kissing her back with everything I have because I’ve been imagining this exact moment for years—and the reality is better than every version I built in my head.
I think it’s going to be a mild kiss, maybe thirty seconds tops, but she never pulls away. She keeps pressing against me more and more. Her hands are in my hair, my hands are on her waist, and there’s no gap, no millimeter between us. There is no whitespace with Cinna. There’s only her mouth and mine, the sound of breathing, the golden light, and the simple, impossible fact that she chose me.
She chose me.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
AERON
Cinna and I are on her bed, and I’m pretty sure I’m dreaming.
Her hands press against my chest, her fingertips warm through the cotton. “There’s no need to be nervous,” she says.
That means she can feel my heart going wild. And easy for her to say. I’m basically vibrating out of my skin.
I want to be honest (I have to be honest). “I-I’ve never done this before.”
She tilts her head, and gives me a wide-eyed, doe look. “You’re so sweet. Done what? I’m sure you’ve kissed before. Isn’t that all we’re doing?”
My mouth freezes on a response because I thought this was going to escalate, like, all the way. Maybe this is… a make-out session only?
She giggles and pats my chest again. “I’m teasing. You mean you’ve never lost your V-card?”
“Don’t make it sound so lame.”
She laughs again and that sound really fills me with confidence. If I could have her next to me, if I could make her laugh like that every day, I’m sure I could conquer the world.
She leans close, her lips brushing my ear. “I’m flattered you’re giving it to me. Because I really need to fuck.”
Every muscle in my body locks up. I try to play it cool and smile, but I’m sure I look anxious.
She’s so different from how I normally see her. I never hear Cinna cuss. It’s a shock but I also like this edgy version of her.
She kisses my cheek, then her hands slide along my chest, up under the hem of my T-shirt. I stop breathing. She tugs it off and lets it fall to the floor. She whistles quietly. “Wow. You have some muscles I didn’t know about.” She flashes her teeth. “Don’t worry. I’ll be gentle and I won’t expect you to be rough.”
My mouth is dry. “Do you, uh, you want me to be rough?” The words sound stupid out loud.
She laughs again, but it’s not mean. “It’s okay, don’t put pressure on yourself. I don’t think you have it in you to be rough the way I like.”
That stings. I want to be what she needs. I want to be good at this.
She pushes me gently back onto the bed, straddling my hips. The bedframe creaks. She settles above me and just grins, running her hands over my bare chest. Fingernails drag lightly, giving me goosebumps everywhere.
Please don’t let me be dreaming.
She traces a line down my sternum. “So, how much of a virgin are we talking?”
I shrug because I can’t form words.
She tilts her head, those bright eyes never leaving mine. “First base? Second base?”
