Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 79800 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 399(@200wpm)___ 319(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79800 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 399(@200wpm)___ 319(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
“Can I give you that?” I ask, my voice rougher than intended, thick with something I’m refusing to name.
“Only you, Foster,” she breathes. “I’d only want a birthday kiss from you.”
The air between us pulses, fragile and electric, raging just as fiercely as the storm outside. I hesitate, tracing the line of her jaw with my thumb. I wish I could see her mouth so that I could memorize the curve of her lips. Slowly, reverently, I lean in and press my lips to hers.
My heart hammers against my ribs as I lean in closer, the air between us suddenly too thick to ignore. Her breath hitches, and she’s not close enough. I need her closer, so I pull her down onto my lap.
“This okay?” I ask, my voice barely above a whisper.
“Again,” she whispers, and suddenly the world outside this moment ceases to exist. There’s only her and me and the faint scent of her hair that makes my stomach twist in a good way.
I move slowly, carefully, almost afraid to break the fragile bubble we’re suspended in. My hand hovers near her cheek, trembling slightly, and I wonder if she can feel how nervous I am. I’ve imagined this a hundred times, but now that it’s here, it’s nothing like I thought.
The moment is sharper, softer, more electric.
My breath catches as I lean in slowly, every nerve screaming, and my heart threatens to leap out of my chest. When our lips finally meet for the second time, it’s nothing like anything I’ve ever felt before. Her mouth is warm, hesitant at first, like testing the waters, and then deeper, more certain, like she’s been waiting for this.
I’ve been waiting for this.
Time collapses. The world fades to nothing but the faint press of her lips against mine, the quiet intake of her breath mingling with mine, and a dizzying rush of everything I’ve been feeling since meeting her, squeezing into a single moment. My heartbeat mimics the thunder rolling outside, each pulse echoing the longing I’ve tried so hard to ignore.
I don’t pull back, even though I know that I should. My hands are trembling slightly, afraid that even the slightest movement might shatter this fragile perfection. But it’s an impossible feat now that I’ve tasted her. Every nerve in my body seems alive, hyperaware of her warmth, the gentle brush of her hair against my face, the faint scent that clings to her and refuses to leave me.
I realize how easy it would be to lose myself in her completely. The thought alone sends a shiver down my spine, a mix of fear, guilt, and desire twisting in my stomach. And yet, the realization of how much I want her is staggering. Overwhelming, almost cruel in its intensity. I can feel the pull between reason and instinct. Each moment, each breath stretching into an eternity where nothing exists except her and the irresistible gravity of this connection.
Fear hovers, terrified to let myself fall.
Guilt from my past swirls in my gut.
Desire for this beautiful woman is stronger than anything I’ve ever felt before.
I know that pulling out of the kiss could save me from drowning in these feelings, but part of me—a deeper, wilder part—doesn’t want to be saved. All I want is this, this closeness, this impossible, intoxicating connection. Every inch of me aches to surrender, to let the world fall away completely.
For once, I want to live in the moment without thinking about my mistakes. I want this small sliver of time where it’s just Eden and me, lost in one another.
Finally, I pull back because my need to check that she’s still on the same page as me is stronger than anything else I’m feeling. “You still with me, birthday girl?” I ask.
“More kissing. Less talking,” she says, pulling my lips back to hers.
For the first time in a long time, I let myself forget everything else and just exist.
With her.
Chapter Twelve
Eden
* * *
I’ve never been kissed like this.
Foster’s lips pressed to mine make me feel steady. Grounded in a way I’ve never felt before. In this moment, we’re not rushing toward anything. We just exist with one another.
Everything around us seems to be quiet, as if the world has decided to give us space. I can no longer hear the storm raging outside, just the rhythm of my thunderous heartbeat and our breathing.
That’s all I hear.
Just the two of us.
It feels like I’m standing somewhere familiar and realizing I belong there. There is no urgency, no pressure, just him.
Us.
Not only does this moment feel important, but I feel like I matter to this man. The way his palm cradles my cheek, the soft caress of his tongue against mine.
I feel recognized. Seen. Cherished.
All the emotions I’ve never felt at the same time. I’ve never allowed myself to be this close. Sure, there have been kisses and some fooling around, but this, this kiss feels more intimate than any other experience before it.