Page 35 of Gabriel
Somebody has to.
Seconds tick by as I wait her out, holding myself impossibly still. Only a few inches of space separate us, and when the wind rustles her hair, I can’t help but breathe in the coconut scent of her shampoo. My mouth waters.
Licking my lips, I hold her gaze and lift one brow, daring her to make a move.
Her eyes flick to my mouth and back, and a pretty blush warms her cheeks.
She can push me away anytime. She can use her words. Demand that I take a step back. If she does, I will. This isn’t one of those gray areas I make a habit of crossing into. If a girl doesn’t want me to touch her, I don’t. End of story. If she was anyone else, I would have backed off by now and given her some space.
But with Cecilia, I need words or physical contact if she wants me to back away. I need more than body language.
She’s gotta take control. Make some demands.
The longer I stare into her eyes, the quicker her emotions flint across her face. Some are easy to recognize. Apprehension. Curiosity. A touch of fear. But then a new emotion bleeds into her gaze. One I not only recognize, but respond to.
Wantmixed with more than a littleneed.
She bites her lip—we really need to work on that habit of hers—and my eyes, drawn by the action, drop to her mouth.
Her body sways toward me. I doubt she’s aware of the motion. If she was, I’m almost certain she’d jerk away. Put distance between us.
The thought alone adds a sour taste in my mouth.
Before she has a chance to second guess herself, I respond in kind, leaning closer and making my interest clear. I’ll get shit from my boys for this later. Hell, I’ll give myself shit for this because it sure as fuck was not part of my plans. I don’t really care, though. I’m curious to see where this goes.
One of my hands slides down to settle on her hip. My thumb pushes beneath the hem of her sweater, finding bare skin to stroke. She’s warm. Soft. I push her shirt up further, just enough for my palm to settle against her skin.
Cecilia sucks in a breath, but that's her only reaction. She doesn’t tell me to back off, or shove me away.
We’re still good here.
Pressing forward, I eliminate the scant few inches of space between us until her front is pressed right up against my chest.
A hitch in her breathing is followed by a hard swallow.
I’m playing with fire here.Platonic,I remind myself. I’m supposed to keep shit platonic. I remind myself why pursuing anything romantic with this girl is a bad idea. Problem is, none of the reasons I come up with sound good enough.
I want to see how far she’ll let this go. I realize this is impulsive and short sighted. But knowing that does nothing to stop me. My heart lurches in my chest, free-falling as I flip our positions. Keeping her against me with a firm hold on her waist, this new position has my back leaning on the Jeep and her standing, nestled between my legs.
My cock hardens against her stomach. There’s no way to hide it, but she doesn’t pull away, despite the fact I’ve made it that much easier for her to do so.
She’s as intrigued as I am.
Alarm bells blare inside my head. Dating during soccer season, even casually flirting, is something I generally avoided. And for good reason. So, what the hell am I doing right now?
It’s obvious Cecilia isn’t in a place to start anything with someone. Least of all a guy like me. Not that I’m trying to start anything. At least I don’t think I am. Having her this close makes it difficult to concentrate. But, I know myself well. All I have to offer are a few great fucks. Anything more often leads to feelings and complications. Drama I don’t have the time or inclination to deal with.
But knowing that, repeating the words like a goddamn mantra in my head, doesn’t stop me from pulling her closer. From leaning in. The desire in her gaze begs me for a response. Who am I to deny her?
Kissing her might be a mistake. A big-ass complication neither of us needs. But right now, I don’t give a shit even though I should. I’ll deal with the consequences later.
Dipping my head, I give her every opportunity to tell me no or to turn away, but she doesn’t. Her lips part. Her tongue peeks out to moisten them, and her face tilts up to meet mine. A silent invitation. It’s all I need to know she wants this as much as I do.
Mouth dropping to hers, I press against her soft lips.Fuck, she’s soft.It takes every ounce of restraint in me not to devour her.
Cecilia sighs into the kiss, some of the tension in her body dissipating.
I hold myself in check, keeping the kiss light. I’m careful to move at her pace. I want to make sure I’m not misreading any signals here. She’s fragile. I need to remember that.
