“Nervous?”
“A little.”
“You don’t have to be nervous,” he says. He hands me my glass and this time, I sip the petal juice slowly, taking my time to enjoy the way it warms my belly and my spirit.
“I know. It’s just…”
It’s just that I’ve wanted this for so long.
It’s just that I’ve dreamed of Gaz for an eternity.
It’s just that LeBlaie stole so much from me and today I’m getting that part of myself back.
Today I’m reclaiming what was lost so very long ago.
Today I’m standing up for myself and taking what is mine.
Gaz.
I set my glass down and kiss him deeply. He groans and pulls me closer to him, so our bodies are tightly pressed together. I can feel every inch of him and I know he can feel all of me, but I want more.
I need more.
I want all of him.
I run my hands through his hair and jump up into his arms. He holds me and I wrap my legs tightly around his waist.
“Hayden,” he groans. “We can take this slow, sweetie.” He keeps kissing me, and I grip his hair, holding him tightly.
“I don’t want slow, Gaz. I want you. Now. I need you. I need this.”
I’m practically a virgin.
I get it.
It’s normal that he would be scared of hurting me, of freaking me out, but I’m not scared, and I’m not hurting, and I’m definitely not worried.
I trust Gaz explicitly, but right now, I just want all of him. We’ve waited so long for this moment that I can’t wait another second. I need him now, and I know he needs me this same way.
He carries me through the house, bumping into things as we kiss. He pins me against the wall for just a moment, and slides his tongue over my lips.
“I love you,” he whispers. The words aren’t just words in this moment. They’re a promise. They’re everything I’ve ever hoped for, and everything I thought I would never be able to have. They’re an eternity. They’re endless.
They’re mine.
These are words he is offering to me, and I offer them right back.
“I love you, too,” I tell him. “With all of my heart, Gazley Oleandair.”
He chuckles at my use of his full name and keeps kissing me, and then Gaz carries me to the stairs. He kisses me the whole way up, never stopping or setting me down. I don’t even have a chance to look around because all I want is more.
More kissing.
More touching.
Just more.
Chapter 14