Page 38 of Sweet Heart

Her eyes brim, and she purses her lips, but nods regardless. I smile and rest my cheek against her hand, closing my eyes. Her scent is so intoxicating that I almost nuzzle against her wrist. Almost.

She stills under my touch, and I open my eyes.

“Cat,” I whisper so quietly it could be an exhale, but her pupils dilate regardless. “Help me give them a new meaning.”

I don’t know where the words come from. Maybe I should still be mad at her, but I can’t. I don’t want to. Not anymore, not after her confession, her apology.

Cat gazes back at me, her eyes dark and her lips slightly parted.

“Maria…” she breathes unevenly.

My own breath hitches as she steps closer and gently guides me until my back hits the wall—one hand at the back of my neck, the other resting on my hip. She presses her forehead against mine, and her chest heaves as we stay there, pressed together. When she speaks, her voice is raw.

“Are you sure this is what you want?”

I nod, unable to form words. But I don’t have to. She hears me. Her lips hover above mine long enough for me to pull back, but when I don’t, they finally crash into mine. Not careful or controlled. Desperate.

Cat kisses me as if she has been holding her breath for days. As if I am all she needs, and maybe I am. She tastes like coffee and caramel, and when her tongue slips into my mouth, it is like we’ve done this a dozen times before. As if she knows the contours of my lips, and hers belong pressed against mine.

I moan into her mouth. She instantly curls her fingers in reply, and another whimper follows. I am drowning in her taste, her smell, and that feeling of protection and safety. Cat is everywhere. I want her to be everywhere. Which is why this has to stop.

I pull away, and she instantly looks at me, dazed and confused. Her lips are still parted, her pupils blown, and her breathing ragged. So is mine.

Cat frowns, hesitating. I feel her move away, but I grab her hand and I let out a huffed laugh. I close my eyes and calm my breathing, until I can manage to look at her again.

“Wow.”

Chapter 14

Cat

That smile… That wide-open yet fragile smile… it will be my undoing. There is nothing more beautiful than the way she beams up at me right now. If it weren’t for her fingers pressing gently against my wrist, I might just float away. Oh, Maria. My Maria now.

The thought hits me all at once, setting my whole body on fire. The sensation spreads from my limbs into my chest, then sinks into my stomach, widening as it goes. I stagger forward at the intensity of it and dig my fingers into her hip to steady myself. The air leaves my lungs in rapid bursts while my eyes burn.

“Wow, indeed.”

I don’t know how I manage those words or how I make them sound so steady. Everything around me seems to be moving at the speed of light. Everything except for her. Mary stands there, her gleaming eyes a beacon in my darkness, calling to me. I can no longer deny that. Deny her. Her gravity is too strong, and now I am orbiting her. One kiss, and everything shifted. And all I want is to do it again. Dios, this is going to ruin me.

I can’t get enough of her beautiful face, and I let my eyes roam over her again. Her lips are slightly swollen, her pupils dilated, and her cheeks flushed. But what really catches my attention is how quiet she suddenly feels. Calm, almost.

“Are you okay?”

Mary nods slightly while huffing out the softest laugh through her nose. She takes a single step, and I instantly feel the radiating warmth from her body wash over me like a soft blanket. Her hand comes up to my chest, resting against my sternum. Her fingers spread out and brush my collarbone. She tilts her head as she looks at me, silently asking, and my lips instantly curl up. I wrap my arms around her and press our foreheads together. That quiet suddenly makes sense.

After what could be hours or only seconds, Mary breaks the silence by leaning away slightly and smiling. I blink at the loss of her warmth, but my lips curl up in answer regardless.

“Tea or coffee?”

Her voice is deeper than usual, and she licks her lips as she watches me. That subtle flick of her tongue instantly sends a hot flare to my loins. Behave, Cat! I swallow and pull my arms back while I nod.

“Yes, please.”

Her soft smile turns into an amused grin, and her eyebrows shoot up. Her blue eyes gleam with sudden mischief. My stomach suddenly drops as if I am on a roller coaster, and I brace for what is to come.

“Both, then? Ambitious. Go figure.”

“Huh?”