He smiles at his misfortune then takes a bite as if that will help. “I’m sorry. That’s all.”
“Don’t be,” I say, tugging at the strings of his hoodie. “We’re good.”
Sure, it was just a kiss, but for him, it’s not about the kiss itself. It’s what led to the kiss; the feeling that allowed the kiss to happen at all. The trust—orlove—that opens a door for him into a world he doesn’t step into easily. If that door is open for him, if I was the one who opened it, I’m not sure what that means for our relationship.
“We should go to bed,” I say.
Liem’s eyes linger on mine for too long, and I can’t seem to look away. Little in this world is easier to look at than him, especially those eyes, looking like golden labradorite in the lamplight.
He turns to face me, standing between my knees, his hand finding my waist as if we’re back on the dance floor. “Okay, I lied,” he says. I cock an eyebrow, knowing he can’t possibly be talking about not wanting carbs. “I’m not sorry.”
I swallow loudly. “You’re not?”
Slowly, he shakes his head. “I figured it out a few weeks ago, but I’ve been too afraid to admit it.”
“Admit what?”
“That I want you.”
My back instinctively arches toward him, a heartbeat appearing where it shouldn’t. “You do?”
“Yeah.” His gaze drops to my lips, and his hand flexes on my waist. “And I want to do a lot more than kiss you.” His eyes return to mine. “If that’s okay.”
My body vibrates. I mean to put enough space between us to breathe, but moving away from him feels like a crime. “You can’t be saying things like that, Hoodie.”
His lips hover so close to mine. “Why not?”
“Because you’re pretty. And I’m horny.”
“I can fix one of those. If you let me.”
I’m shivering again. The mere concept of self-control sounds as tangible as me having perfect credit. In my moment of hesitation, his hands glide over my lower back then grip my hips, stoking the flame inside me.
“You really want this?” I ask in a whisper.
“You?” Liem nods, his nose brushing against mine. “Bad.”
He closes the small distance, and our lips meet. All over again, I fall apart beneath his kiss. The rush he gives me is better than any sex I’ve had in my life. His thumb presses down on my chin, letting his tongue slip between my lips.Fuck.Who is this man?
His tongue licks mine, his lush lips sucking mine in a slow, deliberate way. The kiss of someone who enjoys kissing you, not someone trying to push you toward something more. I hum with enjoyment against his lips, and he sighs in return. He tugs my hips against him. His sudden dominance surprises and stimulates me. He lifts me by the thighs, and my legs wrap around his waist while he carries me somewhere. To his bed? To hell? I couldn’t care less.
The couch cushions catch me. Liem lies between my legs, theslow roll of his hips against me pushing my thighs up and apart, his erection rubbing against me through frustrating layers of fabric I burn to remove. His mouth finds my neck, and heat blooms through me as quick as wildfire.
His hips flex in a perfect rhythm, his tongue teasing me in time with the music of our breaths and the creak of the couch. When he kisses me again, I’m gone.
I tug at the hem of his hoodie. He sits up, unzipping it while I do the same with his fly. His breath is quick, a smile tilting his kiss-swollen lips. How long I’ve envisioned this, hoped it would happen, and now it’s here.
But is this the right time?
Looking in his eyes, I see his pupils are dilated. My inability to focus my eyes on his for longer than a second shows I’m in a similar state.
When Liem touches me, when he takes me, I want him to feel every emotion he needs. I want him to remember every detail of the comfort and pleasure I give him. And I want to feel it all, nothing numbed or influenced.
Consent is everything, and we are in no shape to provide that right now. We have to stop.
“We’re drunk,” I say.Heis. I’m more drunk onhimthan anything else right now.
“We should stop.” He vocalizes my thought.
