I go to the door and check the spy hole.
The sight of AJ on the other side has my heart pounding inside my chest. I twirl in circles, swiping up my discarded clothes from last night, conscious my hair is still wet from the shower.
I remove the chain and open the door.
An invisible force squeezes my lungs. He’s wearing a black pair of ripped jeans, a black T-shirt under his leather jacket.
‘Hey,’ he says.
‘Good morning,’ I respond. ‘What are you doing here?’
I tense. He tilts his head slightly to one side. His gaze is fixed on my mouth, and a ball of pent-up anxiety detonates in my gut.
When he steps forward and his lips capture my own, I forget how to breathe. There have been nights where I’ve dreamed of this moment, where I get to feel him against me once more. Only this time, he deepens the kiss almost instantly, maybe in recognition of our prior experience and that we’re done being coy. A whimper escapes my throat as my skin prickles, and the tiny hairs on my arms stand fully to attention. The outside world melts away and I’m back in that closet. Heat blossoms down my spine. Where our mouths touch, it’s pure electricity. When his tongue touches mine, I’m lost.
Since the night of the party, I’ve yearned to go back and have this happen again. For five years, I’ve dwelled on it for much longer than I should have.
Now I’m reminded why. AJ Callahan kisses me like no other man ever has.
He may not be the only man I’ve kissed, but he’s the only one I’ve enjoyed kissing.
From the back of AJ’s throat comes a low moan.
He pulls away and it’s over. We’re breathless.
‘I wanted it to be you,’ he whispers.
He raises his eyes to me. We both know the exact moment he’s referring to. I offer him a gentle nod.
The second time, there’s no stopping us. We’re kissing feverishly, desperately, like we’re making up for lost time. His hands go to my waist and he marches me backward. I’m vaguely aware that he’s kicked the door closed behind us with his foot, and the next thing I know, my butt has come into contact with the top edge of the couch.
He breaks the kiss. Our ragged breaths mix together. ‘I was hoping if I kissed you, it would sway you into liking me again, so I can like you back at the same time.’
I let out a shaky breath.Did he just say what I hoped he did?This time, it’s me who presses my lips to his. My hands go into his hair. The way he responds sends heat rushing south to my core. Alone, and aware from prying eyes, we paw at one another hungrily.
‘Why didn’t you tell me?’ he asks eventually, between frenetic kisses.
We break apart again and I swallow. I can feel the bulge in his jeans straining against my thigh and his hands are at my waist. ‘I wanted to. I was afraid. I told you I’d kissed you that night in Roswell, but you’d already fallen asleep.’
Our foreheads are touching. He laughs gently. ‘I think I knew, this whole time.’
‘What changed?’ I ask.
‘I wised up and saw what an incredible woman you are.’
My arms are around his neck. I am fully aware that I am gazing at him. The irritation that consumed me last night has melted away to unbridled desire. And he definitely deserves another kiss for calling me incredible.
I push my tongue into his mouth, tentative at first, but his hum of assent builds my confidence, and delicious sensations shoot through my abdomen as I taste him.
He yanks off his jacket, and it drops to the floor. Pulling with both his hands, he eases me away from the couch, cupping the underside of my butt as he helps guide me backward toward my bedroom, his fingers sliding to my hips.
I go willingly, our tongues still sliding together.
My body is fizzing. And maybe I didn’t think that things would go this fast, but every one of my nerve endings is on fire, and I need all of him.
In my bedroom, AJ breaks our kiss, pulls back and yanks his T-shirt over his head. He looks back to me, and he can see that my eyes have come alive at the sight of his bare chest. He lowers me to the bed and, cocooning me with both his hands either side of my head, he brings his mouth back to mine and I melt into him.
I’m needy for him. He must know it. I put my hands on his chest and slide my palms southward. His chest is ridiculously hard.