Total pages in book: 44
Estimated words: 40927 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 205(@200wpm)___ 164(@250wpm)___ 136(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 40927 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 205(@200wpm)___ 164(@250wpm)___ 136(@300wpm)
We kiss again, slower this time but just as intense, exploring each other with more confidence. Each brush of his lips sends a cascade of tingles down my spine, and I cling to him, drowning in the headiness of it all. My pulse thunders, my thoughts scattered. All I know is I want more—more closeness, more honesty, more him.
Eventually, we break apart, breathing hard, and he presses his forehead to mine. “Damn,” he mutters, eyes shining. “You have no idea how long I’ve—”
“Me too,” I admit, a soft laugh escaping. My cheeks feel like they’re on fire.
He chuckles, the tension in his posture melting into something easier. “Stay for a while?” he murmurs, voice rough, fingertips tracing circles on my waist through my dress. “We can just talk. Or not talk. Whatever you want.”
I swallow, catching my breath. Every fiber of me screams yes. But a flicker of apprehension still lingers—fear of jumping in too fast, of complicating my carefully constructed life. But I want him. The realization is a hot, insistent pulse, harder to ignore than any rational worry.
I manage a small nod. “Yeah,” I whisper, letting my hand slide over his shoulder to rest on his chest again. “I’d like that.”
Relief sweeps across his face, and he kisses me once more, a sweet, lingering sweep of lips that reassures me. Then he tugs me closer, tucking me against his side on the old porch swing, both of us exhaling as we settle. It’s such a simple moment—a quiet summer night, the creak of wood, and two people finding their way to each other.
11
Ripley
The moment we step back inside the house, the air between us crackles. I can’t stop looking at her, caught between awe and desire. Her eyes gleam in the soft light as I close the door behind us, and the hush of the empty house makes every breath feel louder, every heartbeat more insistent. I’ve been wanting this—wanting her—for longer than I’d care to admit, and the thought that we’re finally on the same page sends a rush of heat flooding through me.
I lead her down the short hallway, away from the kitchen. The living room is dark save for a small lamp in the corner, and my pulse kicks up another notch when I catch her gaze flick toward the bedroom door. She doesn’t look away, and that’s all the invitation I need.
“Kali,” I murmur, reaching out to brush my knuckles lightly along her cheek. The simplest touch from me, and she exhales a shaky breath. I can feel the tension coiling between us, and it’s driving me fucking crazy in the best possible way. “If at any point this is too fast—”
She cuts me off by tangling her fingers in my shirt and pulling me closer. The brush of her lips on mine is a jolt of electricity, and I groan softly, letting myself sink into it. We fit together in a way that feels both maddening and natural, my hands sliding up to cup her face as hers wrap around my waist.
I’m not sure how we end up stumbling into my bedroom, but soon the door clicks shut behind us, and the dim glow of the lamp light spills across the bed. My breath hitches as Kali presses herself against me, her warmth radiating through the thin fabric of my shirt. I tug it over my head, tossing it aside without much grace, too focused on the sensation of her hands roaming over my skin.
“God, I’ve wanted this,” I rasp, my lips finding hers again in a frantic kiss that steals the air from my lungs. She moans into my mouth, and every nerve in my body ignites. Between heated kisses, I manage a half-coherent confession: “I’ve… I’ve been thinking about you like this since we first met. Couldn’t get you out of my head.”
Her eyes flutter open, and she searches my face with a softness that nearly undoes me. “You… you have no idea how much I’ve thought about you too,” she whispers, voice trembling with want.
That admission unleashes something inside me. I capture her mouth again, this time slower, more deliberate, savoring each second of contact. My hands slide along her waist, over the curves of her hips. She arches into me with a small gasp, fueling the fire already raging in my veins.
“Ripley,” she breathes, my name a plea on her lips. I ease us both toward the bed, my heart hammering so loud I’m sure she can feel it. She’s all soft heat beneath my hands, and when she leans back on the mattress, a wave of longing nearly overwhelms me. I slip onto the bed with her, the sheets rustling as we shift, finding each other in the darkness.
I keep my touch gentle at first, letting her know this isn’t just about the sparks—though those are definitely there—but about something deeper that’s been building for what feels like ages. She meets my gaze, her chest rising and falling in an unsteady rhythm. There’s so much I want to say—that she’s special, that she’s changed everything for me—but words fail when her mouth brushes my jaw in a slow, intentional caress.