“Baby.”
Her breath hitched.
“I’m gonna kiss you.”I didn’t move away.
“Okay,” she said quietly.
I hooked a finger under her chin, guiding her gently closer.I wanted to take my time with this.Wanted to remember it.Wanted to make sure she felt exactly what she meant to me without a single word spoken.
Our lips met softly.
It wasn’t rushed or hungry, not yet.It was careful.Exploratory.Like we were both learning something new.
Her lips were warm.Soft.She kissed me like she trusted me.
That trust damn near undid me.
I deepened it slowly, letting the kiss linger and build.Her hand slid up into my hair, and she moved closer without thinking.Her body pressed into mine in a way that made my breath catch.
I groaned low in my throat and rolled us, easing her on top of me without breaking the kiss.
Our bodies fit together like this was always how it was supposed to be.She shifted, instinctive, seeking more, and my hands came to her hips, holding her there.
“Clove,” I murmured against her lips.
“Hmm?”she breathed, clearly lost in it.
“Baby, we gotta slow down.”
Her eyes fluttered open, hazy and dark with want.She pulled back just enough to look at me.“We do?”
I brushed her hair back from her face, and my thumb traced her cheek.“Yeah.”
She glanced at my mouth, then back to my eyes.“But I like it.”
Christ.
I pressed a slow, deliberate kiss to her lips, one that promised everything I wasn’t letting myself take yet.“I know.”
She sighed softly, and her forehead dropped to mine.“More,” she whispered.
Every instinct in me screamed yes.
Instead, I held her there, breathing her in, committing the moment to memory.“We’ll have more,” I promised.“Just not like this.Not yet.”
She studied me for a long moment, then nodded.“Okay.”
A knock sounded at the door.
Clove startled, eyes going wide as she scrambled back like she’d been caught doing something illegal.
“Clove?”Carnie called through the door.“It’s half past eleven.Are you and Ender gonna eat breakfast?”
Clove stared at me, panic written all over her face.“I don’t know what to say.”
I bit back a laugh.“Are you hungry?”
Her gaze dropped to my mouth.