Total pages in book: 33
Estimated words: 30287 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 151(@200wpm)___ 121(@250wpm)___ 101(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 30287 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 151(@200wpm)___ 121(@250wpm)___ 101(@300wpm)
“Alex…” Her voice is barely a whisper, shaky and unsure. Her gaze flickers between my eyes and my mouth, like she’s trying to decide if she’s going to give in.
I’m not going to push her, but damn it, I want to. “You don’t have to hold back with me,” I say, my hand resting at the base of her neck now, my thumb grazing her pulse. It’s racing, as fast as mine. “You feel this too, don’t you?”
She doesn’t answer right away, but she doesn’t need to. Her body tells me everything. Her lips part slightly, a soft breath escaping as I lean in, just close enough that she can feel the heat of my breath against her mouth. I’m giving her the space to pull away, but she doesn’t.
Instead, she closes the distance, her lips brushing mine in the softest kiss. Tentative. Testing. I can feel the hesitation in it, but I can also feel the fire beneath, just waiting to ignite.
I deepen the kiss, pressing just a little harder, tasting her, savoring the way she melts into me. Her hands reach up, fingers threading through my hair, and that small, unsure kiss turns into something more. She rises on her tiptoes, wrapping her arms around my neck, pulling me closer, her body pressing against mine.
And fuck, my body responds instantly. My cock strains against my pants, painfully hard as the heat between us builds, her soft curves pressing into my chest, her scent driving me crazy. My hands roam down her arms, feeling the goosebumps that rise beneath my fingers, then I slide them to her waist, pulling her even closer until there’s no space left between us.
The kiss turns hungry, her lips parting for me as my tongue grazes hers, tasting her, needing more. She gasps against my mouth, and that sound, that little sound of pleasure, drives me over the edge. I grip her waist tighter, feeling her body arch into mine, and I’m barely holding on, my control slipping with every second.
But just as I’m ready to lose myself in her, she pulls away, breathless, her chest rising and falling rapidly as she takes a step back, her eyes wide and filled with something I can’t quite place—desire, fear, and something deeper.
I freeze, my heart pounding, my hands still tingling from where I touched her. “Sophia,” I breathe, my voice rough with frustration and concern. “What is it?”
She swallows hard, her hands trembling slightly as she lowers them from my shoulders. “I… I can’t,” she whispers, her voice tight, filled with that hesitation again.
I want to pull her back to me, to kiss her until she forgets whatever’s holding her back, but I don’t. Not yet. Instead, I take a slow breath, stepping forward, but careful not to crowd her. “Talk to me,” I say softly. “What’s going on?”
She shakes her head, blinking rapidly, her hands balling into fists at her sides as if she’s trying to hold herself together. “It’s not you… it’s me. I just—” She breaks off, looking down at the ground, her shoulders tense. “I don’t know how to do this.”
I reach out, gently lifting her chin so her eyes meet mine. “You’re overthinking it,” I say, my thumb brushing her jaw. “I’m right here. We’re right here. Nothing else matters.”
She bites her lip, and I can see the war waging inside her, the way her past still has its grip on her. I don’t know everything she’s been through, but I know enough to understand that she’s scared. Scared of letting someone in. Scared of being vulnerable.
But I’m not going to let her run from this. From us.
“Don’t fight it, Sophia,” I murmur, stepping closer, my forehead resting against hers. “You don’t have to be scared with me.”
She closes her eyes, and for a moment, I think she’s going to let go, going to trust me. But then she shakes her head again, pulling away, her arms wrapping around herself as if she needs the physical barrier between us.
“I’m sorry,” she says, her voice barely above a whisper. “I just… I need time.”
My heart aches for her, but I nod, swallowing down the frustration. “I’ll give you all the time you need,” I say, my voice rough but sincere. “But when you’re ready, I’m not going anywhere.”
She puts more distance between us, and I can see the turmoil in her eyes. The conflict between what she wants and what she’s terrified of.
“I get it,” I say, my voice low, even though it feels like the air has been sucked out of my lungs. “I do.”
She nods, her expression torn, before turning and walking away. I watch her go, my mind a tangle of emotions—desire, frustration, guilt. I’m in deep, and I know it. But I also know that this isn’t over. Not by a long shot.