last weekend and I get it, but I’ve done a lot of thinking and some self-discovery. I’m not going to lie. You scare me. The way I feel for you scares me the most. I don’t want to be broken like I was when my dad died.”
With a frown, I run a hand through my hair then open my mouth to respond.
“No.” She puts her finger to my lips. “I accept it. All of it. Because I’m done denying myself you. You are worth the risk.”
My hand gently wraps around her wrist and I lower it to our sides, not letting go. “Are you sure this is what you want?”
She nods. “I just want you. I’ve loved you since… forever.”
“And when I say I want to parachute down a mountain?”
“I’ll be biting my nails at the end and loving you pretty hard when you return to me. But…” She takes my head in her hands. “You better come back to me.”
I cover her hands with mine. “I’ll always come back to you. I always have.”
She rushes into me and I wrap my arms around her waist, pulling her flush against me. Damn, I never dreamt it would feel this good.
My heart soars and I grip harder. My hands run along the smooth skin of her bare back. Resting them on the back of her head, I draw back. “I think we need to seal this promise with a kiss?”
“Me too,” she says hesitantly.
My hands cradle her cheeks, our faces growing closer. The tip of my nose runs along hers, and we both inhale a breath. My body buzzes with nerves I’ve never felt except around Stella. How do I make sure a kiss that we’ve both dreamed about this long will be worth it?
“King,” she whispers.
“Uh-huh.” My eyes are closed and my nose slides down her cheekbone. My lips rest by her earlobe as she sighs.
“Are you nervous?”
I nod, never letting go of her head. “So fucking nervous.”
She smells like she always does, but it’s much more potent when I’m this close to her.
“You’re so beautiful.” I hook my finger under the strap of her dress resting on her shoulder, delaying the kiss.
“Thank you,” she says softly.
My lips drag down her jawline until they hover over her lips. “I’m going to kiss you now.”
She giggles. “Okay.”
“This is what you want, right?” I clarify once more.
“King?”
“Yeah.”
“Kiss me.”
I bend my head until my lips land on her full, soft ones, the lightness of our touch barely registering as a kiss. My heart pounds and I press my lips to hers again, this time not holding back, waiting for her to get used to me. Our mouths collide and it’s like fireworks are shooting off around us. The chemistry between us is hot and all-encompassing. My tongue slides along the seam of her lips, invading her mouth, meeting her tongue. Shivers rush up my limbs and I take charge of the kiss, setting the pace, unable to get deep enough.
After a couple minutes, she pulls back and touches her lips. My heart drops like a boulder in the deep of the ocean. She regrets it. She didn’t feel what I did. Fuck. I never thought once we were actually together, she wouldn’t feel our connection.
“I know I asked you to homecoming and I have all this music loaded on my phone so we can dance and set the mood, but I’m not sure I can wait. Want to strip out of these clothes, get into our bathing suits, and slide into the hot tub?”
Yeah, she’s perfect for me.
“Why bother with the bathing suits?” I shrug off my jacket and kick off my shoes, leaning forward to kiss her one more time. Now that my lips have been on hers, I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to not kiss her when we’re this close.
“Can we slow it down?” she asks quietly.
My hands stop. Shit. You’re gonna blow this, Bailey. I step closer, her breasts pushing against my chest. “Sorry. We can go as slow as you want.”
Her forehead falls to my chest and her hands rest on my waist. “I just need to breathe for a moment. I was worried… I was scared you wouldn’t…”
I run my finger under her chin and raise her head to look at me. “Let’s start with a clean slate. We’re just two people who came up to a cabin and want to get in the hot tub.”
She giggles and nods. “Okay. I’m going to go change.”
I step