The same nervousness from earlier begins to drift back to me, but now there’s a sense of excitement chasing its heels.
And this time when I move my hand, and it brushes against hers, I feel her fingers move as if they’re searching for mine. I slide my palm over hers and link our fingers, and Lee glances down with the most beautiful smile on her face.
I brush my thumb over her soft skin, and ask, “Is it what you hoped it would be?”
“Much more,” she whispers. She brings her eyes back to mine. “It’s so much more.”Chapter 13LeeGlancing up at Lake, I allow myself to look at him with new eyes, and behind his kind gaze, I see a man who has the courage to protect those he cares for. There’s integrity, and it makes him stand out head and shoulders above any other man.
And with the heart of a young girl who has never dared to dream, I take in his western features which are so very different from my own. Lifting my hand up to his face, I brush my fingers along his temple. Even though his eyes hold a world of warmth, his eyebrows are sharp, and it gives me the impression he sees everything, even the things I try to hide.
My fingers trail down to the stubble on his jaw, and for the first time, I touch bristles, and I’m surprised by how soft they are.
I let my hand move down his neck, and then I stop for a moment because there’s a fluttering in my stomach, and it makes me take deeper breaths. Lowering my palm to the middle of his chest, I close my eyes, and I feel the strong energy coming from his aura.
“You’re like a lotus flower. Pure and patient. You have love and compassion for all things,” I whisper before I open my eyes and I pull my hand back.
When I meet his eyes again, there’s wonder shining from them, and then he whispers, “I don’t know why they call it falling in love. It doesn’t feel like I’m falling at all. It feels like I’ve finally found the other half of me, and every new discovery we make about each other brings us closer to being one.”
Lake’s fingers let go of mine, and then he lifts his hand to my face. His touch is soft as he rests his palm against my cheek, and the affection on his face makes my heartbeat feel like the swift fluttering of a hummingbird’s wings.
“I want to kiss you.” His voice is a low murmur, forming a bubble around us.
Anticipation trickles through me, and as he begins to lean down, my fingers curl into fists so I’ll keep still. He lifts his other hand to my neck, and his smile becomes gentle, softening his features with tenderness.
When I feel his breath fan over my face, my hands begin to tremble from the intense emotions it stirs inside of me.
I close my eyes, and my breaths come faster over my lips until I feel the softness of his mouth press against mine – and I forget to breathe as the fluttering in my heart turns into humming.
Lake closes the small gap between our bodies, and he presses his chest against mine while tilting his head. His lips slowly open, and they caress mine in such an intimate way, it fills me with wonder that two people can create a moment that’s so overwhelmingly intense with just their mouths.
Unfisting my hands, I bring them to his sides, and my fingers curl into the fabric of his shirt.
When Lake’s mouth presses harder against mine, exhilaration flows from my stomach before it pours into my heart, and when it trickles over my skin, I begin to imitate the movements of his lips, learning what it means to share a kiss.
While the sun grows stronger over the horizon, I find myself getting lost in Lake as he gives me an experience I never knew existed.
He has shown me any bridge can be crossed, and it makes me realize how lucky I am.
I must’ve done something really good in a past life to have received such a generous gift as Lake Cutler in this life.LakeI feel her pulse racing under my palm, and it matches the beat of my heart while I breathe in her soft scent.
Feeling her reaction to my body pressing against hers while my mouth memorizes the curve of her lips, makes it so damn hard to not deepen the kiss.
It takes all of my strength to lift my head, especially when her breaths explode over my lips. When my eyes drift open, and I see the same intensity I feel on her face, I have to let go of her and take a step back, so I don’t lose control and just give in to my need for more.