“You always look so put together like nothing ever moves you,” she continued. “You don’t know what it’s like to be afraid…to be helpless.”
“You’re wrong,” I replied. “I know fear. I felt it yesterday.”
When I thought I was going to lose you.
Silence fell again, and we kept staring into each other’s eyes. That strange feeling returned, stronger than before, strong enough to pull me closer to her.
She didn’t withdraw from me, not even when my face mirrored hers. I drew closer and closer until our lips were inches apart. She stared at me in anticipation, her chest heaving quietly.
If she didn’t want this, she would’ve pulled away by now. But it didn’t look like she was going to do that any time soon.
My heart was hammering, my pulse racing as though this was my first attempt at kissing a woman. Her eyelids fell closed the second my lips met with hers. I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her to me.
She drew a deep breath and kissed me back, her tongue sliding into my mouth. I felt like every cell in my body had come alive. And at the same time, the feeling of her lips on mine sent chills down my spine.
Our heads began slowly tilting sideways, our bodies colliding into each other. My erection grazed her thighs, my right hand finding the back of her neck. She wrapped her arms around me, kissing my lips like she’d been waiting a long time for this moment.
The deeper our kiss, the more she unraveled before me. She let out a soft purr when I dared to palm her gentle swells. Before we’d lose complete control, she broke the kiss, her breathing coming in short gasps.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, my tone a low whisper.
“Nothing,” she muttered, fingers tucking her hair behind her ear. “It’s just….” Her voice trailed off. “I’ve….” She looked into my eyes, a hint of anxiety flashing across her face. “I’ve never…you know….”
Slowly, my brows arched as I got the message. “You’re a virgin?”
She paused, then nodded.
Amused, I wiped a palm over my mouth, knowing this was where I’d draw the line. For now, at least.
“That’s uh….”
“…disappointing?”
My lips curled into a small grin. “I was going to say,interesting.”
Again, her cheeks flushed, and she lowered her face toward the ground.
“Since you’re untouched, let’s leave it that way.” I quietly withdrew from her. “Come down whenever you’re ready.” With that, I walked away before things would spiral out of control.
I felt her gaze lingering on me as I headed back toward the stairs. She must be wondering why I hadn’t claimed her yet. EvenIdidn’t know the answer to that. I just knew that I needed to leave lest the monster in me take control.
Chapter 13 – Celine
It had been three days since the deep kiss that left me wondering what would have happened if I hadn’t pulled away. The taste of his lips still lingered on mine, a reminder of his touch and how it made me feel.
I stood by the window in my room that night, watching the rain pour outside. By now, I was already used to the thunderclaps that once scared the living daylight out of me. I’d come face-to-face with death and survived, so a thunderclap wouldn’t hurt me.
In my head, I kept replaying the scene on the rooftop over and over again. It was the first decent conversation I’d had with him since I arrived here. There was no hatred. No anger. Nothing negative.
Just peace and tranquility.
I never thought he had it in him to make me laugh, to makeanyonelaugh. I was glad I was wrong about that. He proved to me that night that he wasn’t completely a monster, that there was still some shred of humanity in him.
Thinking back on the incident and the emotions our small talk stirred up in me, a smile crept onto my face.
Lightning streaked the dark clouds outside.
Crack!