Page 80 of Blue in the Deep Blue Sea

His hand slid to my jaw, cupping my cheek and drawing me closer, and then his lips crashed into mine.

My eyes fluttered shut.

A sky full of stars burst behind my eyelids as his tongue traced along my lips, coaxing me deeper into a trance I didn’t know how to escape. I had no idea what I was doing, so I followed his lead. His tongue found mine, tangling with it in a slow, intoxicating rhythm that stole every coherent thought from my mind. His lipsmoved against mine with a hunger that left me breathless, as though he wanted to consume me whole.

I couldn’t breathe.

I couldn’t think.

His other hand came up to cradle my face, pulling me impossibly closer.

Every inch of my skin prickled. Goosebumps chased across my arms as one of my feet lifted from the floor. I’d always thought that was just something people did in movies, something directors made up to sell romance.

It wasn’t.

It was my body surrendering before my mind ever could.

Everything inside me drifted weightless until the person I’d spent years trying to escape became the only thing keeping me grounded. I hadn’t known a kiss could do that. I’d only heard people talk about it.

He showed me it was real.

He stole my first kiss and left nothing behind.

He took every piece of it without ever looking back.

His hand slipped from my face to my breast, sliding beneath my shirt until his palm cupped me. Heat coiled low inside me, impossible to ignore. My body longed for something I didn’t understand, while the last remnants of the hatred I’d once carried for him dissolved into nothing.

His other hand settled against the small of my back, pulling me flush against him until I felt the hard outline of his erection pressing through his trousers.

I gasped.

He noticed immediately and stepped back.

“Fuck.”??His hands ran through his hair as he turned his back to me, like he wanted to hide what my body had done to him.

“I can’t,” he said between ragged breaths. “We can’t do this.” He swallowed hard. “I… I don’t want you to regret it.”

My fingers drifted to my lips, still tingling, still hungry for him.

“You stole my first kiss.” I took a step closer. “You took it, and now you can’t stop.”

My hand hovered just above his back, but I didn’t dare touch him.

“Don’t stop kissing me.”

He turned to face me.

“What if one day there’s a man you actually deserve?” he asked quietly. “And I took that away from you?”

My hand settled against his chest. Without looking away, he covered it with his own, pressing my palm more firmly against him.

“What if I only want it to be you?” I whispered, blinking back tears. “I saved myself for someone special, and I…” A tear slipped down my cheek. “I think… the only person who’s ever been special in my life wasyou.” I took another step closer. “I was just too scared to admit it.”

“If Gianni finds out…” he murmured. “All the rules we made about you. About not touching my best friend’s sister. About not even breathing the same air as you…”

“Gianni isn’t here.” I swallowed, my heartbeat pounding against my ribs. “It’s just us.”

I held his gaze. “And we’ve already broken every rule.”