I bite my lip before letting it loose. “I decided that it’s better than people pretending to be good though. There are a lot of fake people in the world, Kaiden Monroe. You may be a jackass, but at least you’re real.”
His chuckle fills the night air.
I tip my chin up, looking through my lashes at him. His dips to meet my eyes, and we stay like that. Close but not close enough. Distant but not distant enough.
He knows more than I want him to.
But he doesn’t know what matters.
I swallow. “Kaiden?”
“Hmm?”
I lean closer, one of my hands pressing against his toned stomach. There’s nothing soft about him. He always looks like he’s ready to pounce, to fight.
I’m not sure what to say.
I can’t ask for what I want because I’m not sure want is the right word.
I need it.
His warmth.
His distraction.
“You remember when I said pass before?” I whisper, slowly rising to my knees so our faces are at the same level.
His eyes darken.
“Can I take that back?”
His nostrils flare as his palm cups my jaw, light but fiery. The anticipation rises in the air between us, setting a fire to the chill.
“What if I’m not any good?” I whisper.
He chuckles. “Then we’ll practice.”
That’s all he says before his lips are on mine, much softer than I expect. They brush mine once, twice, a third time. He distances himself just enough to tease my lips with his breath, angling my head to the side before kissing me again.
This time harder.
Hungrier.
Needier.
I quickly figure out what to do and follow his lead, pressing my fingers into his sides and causing him to jerk. I let go and bunch his shirt in my hands, holding on while he parts my lips with his and drags the tip of his tongue along my bottom lip before his tongue tastes mine.
I gasp when his hands drag down my sides, gripping my hips tightly and then loosening up. He tastes like marinara and lemon water, and smells like the woods, and everything about the moment consumes me.
One of his hands goes to my hair.
One of mine goes to his face.
His other hand goes to the small of my back.
Mine goes to his bicep.
I’m not sure where to touch him or not, but he doesn’t let me stay in my head long enough to begin doubting my lack of experience. He presses on my lower back until he’s pushing me into his lap, positioning my legs on either side of him. My hip pops and makes me wince, but I force myself to focus solely on Kaiden. A startled noise escapes me when I sink onto him and feel something hard press against my inner thigh.