Inhaling a breath, I place one hand subsequent to her head and step nearer. “Hello.”

“H-hi.” The phrase skitters out in that cute Southern accent—the one which turns into stronger when her feelings are heightened, whether or not anger or in any other case—and her nostril scrunches. “What are we doin’, Blake?”

“We”—I pause—“are standing right here.”

She snorts. Atta woman. “I imply…”

“I do know what you imply. And I meant what I mentioned.” With my free hand, I slowly transfer my finger alongside the strap of her tank high, mesmerized by the comfortable pores and skin of her shoulder. “We’re standing on the precipice of one thing, Sunshine. One thing that began a very long time in the past. One thing I fought. One thing I’m nonetheless not…” I frown, blink.

Am I doing the best factor right here? As a result of I don’t have a plan. Probably not. I solely have a hope. However I don’t wish to damage Lucy, to vow one thing I can’t ship.

“Hey.” She lifts her hand to cowl mine. “I by no means thanked you for the opposite evening. For taking such excellent care of me.”

Is she kidding? “What different choice did I’ve?”

She flinches, and I understand how that may have sounded. “That’s not what I meant.” I blow out a shaky breath. “I meant…Lucy, it doesn’t matter what I’ve accomplished to persuade myself in any other case, I can’t assist however be drawn to you.” Crap. I’m ruining this. I groan. “And I understand that feels like Mr. Darcy saying how a lot he needs he didn’t like Elizabeth Bennet?—”

She raises her eyebrows in amusement.

“What?” I chuckle. “I’ve a sister. She compelled me to observe my share of romcoms and Jane Austen.”

Tilting her head, she’s biting again amusing herself. “You might proceed.”

“Don’t know if I ought to,” I tease. Solely Lucy could make me really feel higher about how totally dangerous I’m about sharing my emotions. “Subsequent factor you recognize, I’ll be saying ten issues I hate about you.” Shaking my head, I flip her hand round and grasp it, decreasing our clasped fingers towards my chest. “However in all seriousness, Lucy, my stupidity in staying away from you—again twelve years in the past, and this complete final month—has nothing to do with you. Along with your high quality. With you not being adequate. Truthfully, you’re too good for me. You at all times have been. I don’t deserve…”

Her eyes have gone misty, and she or he squeezes my hand. An encouragement to maintain going. She’s not operating away screaming—or laughing—in order that’s one thing, I suppose.

Right here goes nothing. “I don’t deserve you, and but, I need you. I need this. I wish to see if there’s one thing right here that may final.” My coronary heart’s going loopy in my chest, and I’m positive she will really feel the wild beating happening inside. “If we are able to ever need the identical issues.”

Lucy’s tongue flicks throughout her backside lip, and I can virtually see the gears transferring in her mind. She presses her eyes closed, then open once more. “I’m not going to lie, Blake. That basically scares me.”

“It scares me too. In lots of methods, it will simply be simpler…”

“To stroll away. To fake like…”

I really feel a tug on one in all my belt loops, so I acquiesce to her name, closing the space between us. Now my complete left arm—from palm to elbow—presses towards the rock wall, and our our bodies are flush towards one another. Leaving her hand pressed towards my chest, I match my proper hand beneath her jaw, my index finger curled there, tilting her face barely upward. My thumb softly rests towards the purpose of her chin. “Like we don’t…” I carry the pad of my thumb, letting it glide throughout her mouth.

She shudders. “Like we aren’t…”

My head sinks down, nearer to hers, and I can’t suppose, can solely breathe and scent and really feel Lucy—all of her. Bodily, emotionally. She’s all right here with me, and I’m all right here together with her. “Like I’m not loopy.” The tip of my nostril skims hers, then slides down the facet and alongside her cheekbone, the place my mouth hovers over that freckle. “About.” I press a comfortable kiss there, and her breath vibrates out.

In response, her fingers each discover their solution to my waist, and her fingers tuck themselves below my shirt, grazing the pores and skin simply above my belt.

I lastly transfer my mouth alongside her cheek, kissing my solution to her ear as her fingers dig into my pores and skin. And after I kiss a hoop round her ear, I can really feel each of us close to the boundary we’ve at all times set for our feelings, about to interrupt with wanting. The sluggish burn has us each in flames.

Pulling again, I look her within the eyes. There’s a haziness there, a drunkenness I acknowledge in myself. “You,” I lastly say.

Then I’m plunging in, kissing her with all of the pent-up ardour I’ve held again for therefore lengthy. My fingers cup the again of her head and I’m angling my mouth deeper, and she or he’s gripping my again, arching towards me, giving as a lot as I’m. Then I’m tugging the rubber band from her hair so I can sink my fingers into it, plunging and stroking like I wished to do this evening within the kitchen whereas I nip her backside lip and kiss her neck and revel within the glory that’s Lucy.

“Blake,” she groans as she strikes her fingers up my chest and round my neck, leaning again and letting the rocks maintain us each up. I all of a sudden fear that it’s too tough for her, so I flip us round and now the rocks are towards my again and Lucy is leaning into me, reaching up on her tiptoes to kiss the stubble on my jawline.

I can’t assist however launch the deep rumble in my chest when she lets me slide my fingers alongside the curve of her waist as she tugs my head down and nibbles the lobe of my ear. How did I get this fortunate, to be the man that this goddess of a lady—this excellent woman subsequent door, with the mood and the goodness and the loyalty and the forgiving nature of a saint—would enable me to the touch her?

It’s totally unreal, however I wish to spend each hour of my life exhibiting her how grateful I’m.

“Lucy.” I say her identify repeatedly, as I kiss her eyebrows, her eyelids, her nostril, every nook of her mouth. Then I give her lips the softest kiss I can handle. “Lucy.”

She should hear the distinction in my tone—that there’s one thing I must say—and her eyes flutter open. “Hmm?” she says within the sweetest means, like she’s simply waking up from a dream.

Supply: www.seynovel.com