was why I was surprised when my phone pinged with a new text.
Rose: Are you asleep?
Jack: No.
Rose: Me neither.
I took a deep breath, ran my hand over my face.
Jack: Everything okay?
Rose: Yes. Just can’t sleep.
Rose: Why are you still up?
Jack: Couldn’t sleep either.
Rose: Can I still milk my situation or did I miss my chance?
Jack: Depends on what you want.
Rose: It’s a weird one.
Jack: Try me.
Rose: I was wondering if I could kiss you.
Rose: And before you say no, it doesn’t have to mean anything but that, just a kiss. The truth is you’ve slowly become this adept kisser and I think I wouldn’t mind kissing you right now. I’d like to call it a pity kiss. If that’s not okay since no one would be around to see it, I understand that.
The dots were still dancing around, but I left my phone on my nightstand and walked away. I chose not to knock and just walked into her room.
She seemed to be still typing but stopped when she saw me. Clearing her throat, she got up to her knees to get out of bed, but I made it to her before she could.
“How do you want to do thi—”
I didn’t give her time to finish her sentence. In the next breath, I was holding her head in my hands after having pushed her hair back. Her cheeks were warm and slightly wet.
“I don’t want you to cry anymore,” I muttered with a tinge of anger coloring my voice. That was the last thing I wanted for her. “I’ll kiss you, but only if you promise not to cry anymore. I can’t take it, Rose.”
She nodded.
I lowered my head down to hers, parted her lips with mine, and watched her eyes as they closed the second our lips touched. She placed her hands over mine on her cheeks and tilted her head up, deepening the kiss. I slowly dropped to my knees on the bed, tightened my hands around her face, plunging my fingers into her hair as her arms moved between us to wrap around my neck. I pulled her tongue into my mouth and happily swallowed her quiet groan.
If I had to describe our kiss, I would say it was a gentle violence. I couldn’t get enough of her, couldn’t get close enough. I let one of my hands travel down her back, memorizing every inch and how her body dipped at her waist. When I had a good grip on her shirt, I pulled her flush against me. She grunted but didn’t stop, didn’t ask me to stop.
I could feel her chest rising and falling against mine, her heat burning me up already. I fisted her shirt in my hand and deepened the kiss, forcing her to arch her back at the same time, gripping her waist tightly with my other hand. Her head dipped back with the force of my kiss, her tongue playing with mine.
Then her hands were braced on my chest and I felt a slight push.
I managed to wrench myself away, and she quickly jumped out of my arms and the bed, running straight to the bathroom.
My whole body was wound up tight. I sat down on the edge of the bed and dropped my head into my hands. My breathing was heavy, my heart beating in my throat like a teenager making out with his girlfriend in her house.
While I was contemplating getting up and leaving or staying, Rose re-emerged from the bathroom, her face flushed, lips red and swollen, hair all messed up.
She looked perfect.
She slowly made her way back, stopping in front of me when her knees were almost touching mine.
I didn’t want to apologize for pouncing on her like a beast, but I had completely forgotten she was ill.
“Sorry,” she muttered, her voice thick. Her index finger tapped the side of her nose. “It was starting up again so I had to…”
I sighed a breath of relief and nodded. I swallowed down the lump in my throat and was about to get up to leave, but Rose put both her hands on my shoulders and climbed into my lap, not sitting, but she had put one of her legs between mine and was standing on her knees. My hands found purchase on her hips and I held her still.
“What are you doing?” I asked in a harsh whisper as I stared into her alluring eyes.
She smiled down at me. “I’m getting the rest of my pity kiss,” she whispered