Page 24 of Daring to Love

“Tell me,” I rasp.

“I didn’t say that.”

My breaths come out in low huffs, and I rest my forehead against hers as images of her lying down on a bed, her small fingers between her legs as she teases and rubs her clit flash between my eyelids.

“Fuck it.”

I’m done for.

Shaking from head to toe, I take her lips, rubbing them softly against mine and nibbling on them. I keep my hands on her face as I gently take control of the kiss. Her mouth opens on the sweetest moan I’ve ever heard, and I do what I’ve ached to do since I saw her dancing. My pulse pounds in my ears, but knowing she’s as innocent as they come, I slow down. I trace her lips with my tongue, swallowing another gasp, and I groan when my tongue finds hers. Vaguely, I feel her arms move up and around my neck and I kiss her harder. Her lips are sweet, eager, as she tentatively sucks on my tongue, making my eyes roll back in pleasure and need.

I need to stop.

I hate that I have to end the best fucking kiss of all first kisses, but if I don’t, I doubt I’ll be able to let her go tonight.

I swipe my tongue around hers a last time, silently begging her to stop being so sweet, but I doubt she could if she tried. I hang on to the short thread of willpower I have left and pull back. Again, I can’t resist tucking on her full lips, biting gently only to swipe the sting away with my tongue.

As I open my eyes, I remove my hands from around her face, and move down to wrap her tightly in my arms. The realisation that I’ve not had my fill of her sends my head into a tailspin, and a wave of dizziness passes over me, causing me to blink several times until I feel steady again.

What the fuck was that?

I watch her flushed face as her eyelids flutter open, and I lick my swollen lips when the darkness of her pupils sends another shot of lust straight through my aching cock. Even knowing I’ll spend the rest of the night with a throbbing set of blue balls, I can’t resist pressing a hard, yet short kiss to her lips one last time.

“Holy fuck,” she breathes.

I grind my teeth, because that about covers it.

“I shouldn’t have done that.”

A small frown appears between her eyes.

“Why not?”

I bent my head as I peer down, catching her searching eyes.

“I don’t regret it. But it’s going to be so fucking hard not to do it again for the next few weeks.” I release a unsteady breath, shaken to my core by the effect she has on me. It feels like a rope snakes it way around my heart, squeezing it painfully as I watch the disappointment shining back at me. “I already want to taste you again, Amelie, but I shouldn’t.”

Every molecule in my body screams at me to take the words back, but the words are stuck in my throat; knowing it’s the right thing to do doesn’t make it hurt any less. It’s a physical ache, so foreign to me, and yet, its claws won’t let go of my soul.

Doing the right thing fucking stinks.

Slowly, she pries her arms away from my neck, making me miss her touch instantly, but I don’t stop her.

“It’s because you have to write that article, isn’t it?”

I nod.

“Yeah, it is.” I run my knuckles gently down her cheek. “I can’t be involved with you while it lasts, even though it’s all I want.” I hesitate, unsure whether I should reveal my innermost feelings, but I don’t get the chance when her phone rings. I cock a brow at her as the sounds of The Words by Christina Perri fills the night air.

It’s ironically fitting for what has transpired between us tonight.

Amelie pulls out her mobile and frowns down at it.

“I have to take this.”

I wave a hand at her as she brings it to her ear, silently telling her I don’t mind. I’m almost glad we got interrupted. This is getting too intense too fast.

Whatever this is.