Inhale, Exhale - By Sarah M. Ross Page 0,39

savoring the moment. I could feel the heat from his mouth, and my heart began to race with anticipation. Ever since our bowling night, I’d pictured and daydreamed about this moment, thinking it would only ever be a fantasy. But now that it was here, I didn’t know what to do with it.

Grant’s hands moved up my arms until he cupped my face. A rough, callused thumb gently ran over my bottom lip, causing desire to pool low in my belly. I swallowed, my entire body craving his touch. Everything else faded away. The noise from the TV, the room, the stress. There was only how much we both wanted this kiss. This moment.

“Kiss me, Grant. Please.” I wet my lips and put my hands on his chest, pulling him closer, the stubble from his five o’clock shadow scratching my cheek. He didn’t make me wait any longer. He closed the space between us, lowering his lips to mine.

I whimpered against his mouth, amazed at how good this first kiss could feel. His mouth was hot, but sweet. Soft, but demanding. My hands moved up his chest and around his neck until they knotted in his hair. I moaned, and his tongue slid into my mouth, dancing with my own.

The need for more—more of his wet, hungry kisses, more of his hands on my inflamed skin, more of him—built as we consumed each other.

A clearing of someone’s throat finally tore us apart. A couple with a young child was staring at us as the mother attempted to cover the boy’s eyes. My face burned with embarrassment—not about this kiss (God, that was amazing), but about getting caught. My fingers slid from Grant’s hair, and he helped me stand up.

“Why don’t we go get something from the cafeteria to eat?” he suggested, taking my hand and linking our fingers together.

“Yeah, that’s a good idea.”

We strolled out of the room hand in hand. While I may have been embarrassed at getting caught making out in public, I couldn’t seem to keep the smile off my face. Grant had just given me a ray of sunshine on this dark and cloudy day.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

It was almost one in the morning by the time Jillian’s parents made it to the hospital, and she was passed out with her head in my lap as I stroked her hair. Spending time with her, even doing something as casual as stroking her hair while she slept, filled the long-ago emptied void in my soul. My heart was content and peaceful. It was a strange but satisfying sensation—and one I didn’t want to end.

After our amazing and unexpected kiss, we made it to the cafeteria and nibbled on a light dinner of chicken soup and ham and cheese sandwiches. I wanted to kiss her again, to pick her up and have her wrap her legs around me as I carried her to an empty room for a few hours of alone time. But I knew as much as she wanted to kiss me, she was using it as an excuse to take her mind off of why we were in the hospital in the first place. And I was okay with that. I just didn’t want her to fill with regret later.

“How long has she been out?” her mom whispered.

“Only about forty-five minutes. She paced for a long while, and then at one point demanded the nurse page Dr. Kush, convinced they’d forgotten we were here. A very baby-faced intern or resident or something came to talk to us around ten. He said Mrs. Mayfield was stable, but resting and not allowed visitors until the morning. Jillian tried to call and tell you, but your phone went straight to voicemail.”

Her mom rolled her eyes. “I forgot to charge the stupid thing again. Some good it does me sitting dead at the bottom of my purse.” Her husband elbowed her, and her eyes widened with realization. “I’m so sorry. Grant, this is Jillian’s dad, Justin. Hun, this is a friend of Jillian’s from work, Grant.”

I shook his hand. “A pleasure to meet you, sir.”

“You too, Grant. So is that all the doctor had to say?” Dark circles plagued his eyes. He loosened his tie and unbuttoned the top button of his now-rumpled dress shirt. I felt for the man. His mother was very ill and he had been hundreds of miles away, completely helpless to do anything. And now that he was here, he still couldn’t do much.

“Unfortunately, yes. They’re