“Something wrong?” She cocked one brow up in question and watched him intently. If he could somehow read her thoughts, why should she be embarrassed? He shouldn’t be traipsing around in her thoughts anyway.
“Um, no.” Lorent’s words were quiet.
All or nothing. “Can you tell what I’m thinking?” She widened her smile.
“Wh-What do you mean?” He sank down on the tabletop.
“Hmm. I don’t know. Just seems from the expression on your face that you were somehow privy to my thoughts. Did you know what I was thinking just now?” She stood and stepped closer to him.
His breathing grew faster, similar to panting, and she was sure beyond a reasonable doubt that at that very moment, he was as drawn to her as she’d ever been to him. The knowledge excited her, made her want to push him further, even though a part of her chastised herself for teasing the both of them, for possibly leading them to something that might cause them pain.
But oh, wouldn’t the pleasure they could give one another be worth a bit of pain?
She danced her fingers up his chest, and his eyes glowed. “I guess you’re feeling some strong emotions, huh?”
“What?”
“Your eyes are glowing.”
When he went to stand up, she placed her palm flat against his chest and gently shoved him back down on the table. He gasped in surprise, and his eyes glowed brighter. It was a breathtaking view, one that would probably scare the bejesus out of most people. Her? It only made her burn hotter for his mouth, for the predator that looked ready to pounce on her.
“Melony.” He groaned when she leaned closer to him.
“You can tell how I’m feeling, can’t you? Tell me. I need to know.” Her breathing was nearly as erratic as his now.
“Yes! Yes, I can tell you are, um, excited.”
“How?”
“I can smell you.”
Then it hit her in one huge, embarrassing wave. Holy hell. He could smell her excitement? She thought maybe he was picking up on her thoughts somehow, but smelling her was a whole other ball game. She tried to pull away from him, but his hand shot out and wrapped around her wrist, effectively tumbling her against his chest and holding her prisoner at the same time. He was scorching hot. The heat of his skin burned through their clothes and soaked into her. It was a similar feeling to lying out in the hot sun, but not uncomfortable, not a hotness that demanded a spray bottle of water for intermittent cooldowns.
No. His hotness bled out of him and surrounded her, comforted her, made her feel safe, made her body achy and needy for more of his touch.
“Don’t be embarrassed, Melony. I didn’t mean to make you
uncomfortable, but you did ask.” His breath danced across her cheek with each word.
“I just didn’t realize that, that . . .” She chewed her bottom lip and looked down at the floor.
He lifted his other hand, slid two fingers under her chin, and gave a gentle nudge until she looked back up at him.
“Don’t ever be embarrassed with me. Your feelings are honest. They never lie, and there is no need to be ashamed of them.”
“But it is embarrassing when you know how I’m feeling, but I have no idea how you are feeling.”
“You really can’t tell how I’m feeling?” He smiled and leaned a bit closer.
She glimpsed down and realized he had an erection. Yep. I guess that explains a bit about how he’s feeling.
“Um, well, I don’t—”
Before she could finish the sentence, his lips brushed against hers. She closed her eyes and prayed he’d kiss her properly, craved a taste of him, and he didn’t disappoint her. A low growl rumbled from his chest before his mouth slanted over hers and his tongue slid out to dance along her bottom lip.
She looped her arms around his neck and pressed against him, opening her mouth to him and groaning when he slipped his tongue inside. He tasted just as he smelled—wild, woodsy, tempting—and she knew she’d never taste anything as good as him as long as she lived. She blossomed under him as if he was the very essence she needed to live. Nothing she’d ever done had felt as right as this moment, here with this man.
She sank against him, her fingers tangling in the thick hair at his nape, and the whole world and everything in it disappeared but her and Lorent.
They were the only things that existed at that moment, and time stood still while they explored one another, breathed one another, tasted and caressed one another thoroughly as if careful to commit every second forever to memory.
Finally, after what seemed like hours, but what Melony was logically aware was more like a couple minutes, Lorent slowly sat back. She felt the loss of his mouth all the way to her toes, and fought the urge to cry out in denial of the sudden absence of his lips.
She stared into beautiful, glowing pools of hazel. He sighed, and she yearned to lean her cheek against his chest so she could listen to the comforting beat of his heart, but remained where she was.
“I shouldn’t have done that, but I couldn’t resist. I can’t seem to help myself around you.” He scrubbed one of his hands over his face and stood.
Before he could walk away, she placed her hand on his forearm, stilling him. “I wanted you to kiss me, Lorent. I’ve wanted you to ever since the other day when I kissed you. And I’m not apologizing for kissing you.” She nibbled her bottom lip again. “Unless you want me to?”
He lifted his hand and gently ran his fingers down her cheek. “No, I don’t want you to apologize.”
“And I don’t want you to.”
“We shouldn’t be kissing, Melony.”
“Why?” Maybe they shouldn’t, but at this point, she wanted to do way more than kiss him. Slow down, Melony. Slow down.
“It’s difficult for me to do the right thing when I start touching you.” He turned away and went to the window, where he stared outside.
She followed and noticed the sky had darkened and it was spitting rain.
“What is the right thing?”
“Stopping.” He sucked in a breath and turned to face her again. “Because I don’t want to stop once I start touching you.”
“Oh.” Her body ignited, and she understood exactly what he was saying because she felt the same way. “I don’t want you to stop either.” Her cheeks heated, but she refused to take her eyes from his.
She needed to see his face while they had this discussion, needed to witness for herself that he was feeling as reckless as she was, needed to know that he wanted her as badly as she wanted him.
“We can’t.” He squeezed his eyes shut, then opened them. “God, we can’t.”
“I think we can, but I’ll be honest. I’ve never been with a man, Lorent, and while I would be honored to be with you, I need to take things slow.
When you touch me, all logic flees my mind, and I want nothing to do with slow, but I don’t want my first time to be rushed. Don’t misunderstand me, because I don’t feel that you would pressure me into anything, but I lose my head with you, and I’m a bit nervous about my first time.”
His eyes glowed brightly then dimmed. “Being a virgin in such a modern world says a lot about your character, Melony. You obviously consider intimacy to be more than a mere slaking of needs. I would never intentionally do anything that caused you any discomfort.”
“Yes, I truly believe that. You’ve been kind with me, and I like you, but I don’t feel like I know you. You’re very guarded. Do you think you could ever trust me enough to open up to me? Even a little?”
He turned back to the window. “I don’t know. I’ve not talked to anyone about me, really. I’m not sure I know how to. I’ve never had a friend, no one to trust. No one has cared to get to know me before.”